Han Zheng returned home and immediately summoned the Gluttonous Crucible, preparing to enter it and cultivate.
From the journey back from Spirit Medicine Manor until now, Han Zheng had opened several more acupoints, reaching two hundred and forty, but he had not opened any additional meridians.
Although Feng Yuan, the Punishment Hall Master of the Three Harmonies Gang, had not reached the Innate Realm, if he had already opened all twelve meridians and was a Peak Acquired Stage martial artist, then the gap in strength between him and Han Zheng would be far too great.
To strike first and gain the upper hand, he needed strength to serve as his foundation.
Han Zheng directly threw the thirty points of Satiety he had kept in reserve into the Gluttonous Crucible and began cultivating.
Li Feng had said that Han Zheng's foundation was deep and solid, so he could actually afford to be more aggressive in his cultivation.
The most straightforward way to increase strength was not by opening acupoints, but by charging through meridians!
During the previous twenty-nine days, Han Zheng had been opening acupoints all along.
With his profound foundation and the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill as his support, Han Zheng's cultivation this time was incomparably aggressive.
His inner strength surged madly, his blood and qi roiled within him, and at times he even assaulted two acupoints at once.
To other martial artists, such behavior was simply courting death, but Han Zheng's foundation was deep enough that he could fully withstand such impacts.
The results of such aggressive cultivation were also remarkable.
Over those twenty-nine days, he directly opened sixty-five acupoints, averaging more than two acupoints per day.
Han Zheng used the remaining day to assault his meridians, opening two of them in succession within a single day.
In truth, other martial artists would also see this as an extremely suicidal act.
Opening acupoints was manageable enough. At worst, failure merely wasted inner strength for nothing, and one could simply try again.
But the consequences of failing to break through meridians were severe. Most martial artists had to proceed with extreme care each time, terrified that something might go wrong.
Moreover, not every martial artist could endure the agonizing pain of breaking through meridians.
After one attempt, they needed a long time to recover before making a second.
Only because Han Zheng relied on his deep foundation, along with his lack of pain sensation, did he dare court death like this.
His Satiety was completely exhausted. Han Zheng left the Gluttonous Crucible and checked his current attributes.
Name: Han Zheng Cultivation: Houtian Meridian Opening Realm (305 acupoints opened, ten meridians.) Martial arts and cultivation methods: Houtian Realm "Iron Elephant Skill" complete, Houtian Realm "Vajra Fist" complete. Innate Realm "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" proficiency 17%, Innate Realm "Vajra Demon Subduing Seal" proficiency 10%, Innate Realm "White Ape Through-Arm Fist" proficiency 3%, Houtian Realm "Blood Fiend Saber Art" proficiency 5%. Current status: Pain sensation absent, blood and qi abundant
A Postnatal Martial Artist who had opened ten meridians was already very close to Peak Acquired Stage. There was a difference in strength between them, but it would not be too outrageous.
Moreover, Han Zheng possessed several Innate Martial Skills. He was fully capable of defeating the strong while weak.
After changing into a dark cyan outfit and bringing his Wild Goose Feather Saber, Han Zheng found a piece of black cloth to cover his face. Under the cover of night, he lurked in an alley near the Drunken Flower Pavilion, staring unblinkingly at its movements.
Time stood still within the Gluttonous Crucible. From killing Liu San to changing clothes and arriving at the Drunken Flower Pavilion, Han Zheng had not even taken a quarter of an hour. Feng Yuan should still have been on his way.
Han Zheng did not know what Feng Yuan looked like, so he could only use the most foolish method of elimination, identifying each guest who entered the Drunken Flower Pavilion to see whether he was Feng Yuan.
The possibility of mistaking someone was not high.
There was only one brothel of any scale in all of Black Stone County. The rest were hidden prostitutes behind half-closed doors in the slums.
Thus, those who came to the Drunken Flower Pavilion to drink flower wine were all prominent figures in Black Stone County. Those whose strength had reached Peak Acquired Stage were even fewer, making them easy to identify.
Han Zheng waited for half an hour. Three groups of guests entered the Drunken Flower Pavilion, but none were martial artists; they were wealthy merchants from Black Stone County.
One of them was even Guo Mingyuan's father, who had personally brought Guo Mingyuan to the Martial Arts Academy before.
Just then, a man in green robes approached the Drunken Flower Pavilion. His face was cold, his build lean, and two deep lines ran from his nose to the corners of his mouth.
The madam at the entrance, her face caked in white powder, mouth stretched wide in a false smile as she welcomed guests, immediately brightened.
"Master Feng, you're here! Hurry inside, please. The usual today?"
This man was a major customer of the Drunken Flower Pavilion. Out of thirty days a month, he came twenty-eight.
Moreover, he only did two things: sleep with women and eat. He left as soon as he was done, yet paid for an entire night. He was truly particular.
"The usual. No need to warm the wine this time. There are too many matters in the gang, so it is not suitable to drink."
Han Zheng immediately fixed his gaze on him. This man was most likely Feng Yuan!
His surname was Feng, and his blood and qi were abundant. He was definitely Houtian Late Stage or Peak Acquired Stage.
Furthermore, he said there were many matters within the gang. Black Stone County had only three gangs.
If he left in the middle of the night, then he was undoubtedly Feng Yuan.
As Feng Yuan entered the Drunken Flower Pavilion, Han Zheng stared fixedly at the entrance from the alley.
Inside the brothel, the man enjoyed warm jade and fragrant softness. Outside, Han Zheng endured the cold wind. The contrast was stark.
A little over half an hour later, Feng Yuan emerged from the Drunken Flower Pavilion, though his face clearly carried a trace of exhaustion.
Han Zheng was slightly taken aback. That fast?
After subtracting the time spent eating, it seemed he had not spent much time in bed.
Was Feng Yuan a quick draw?
Suppressing these messy thoughts, Han Zheng restrained his aura to the utmost, slowed his footsteps, and pressed himself into the alley's shadows. He followed Feng Yuan, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
When they reached a narrow, deserted alley, Han Zheng tightened his grip on the hilt of his Wild Goose Feather Saber. A thread of killing intent unconsciously spilled out.
Feng Yuan abruptly halted and looked toward the pitch-black alley behind him. With a cold laugh, he said, "Are you scraps from the Black Tiger Gang or the Sky Eagle Gang? Come out. Stop hiding.
"You dogs dare set your sights on me? You are simply seeking death!
"It would be more fitting if Pang Heihu or Qiu Tianying had come!"
The three gangs of Black Stone County had fought one another for territory for many years, and by now the situation had largely stabilized.
The Three Harmonies Gang was the strongest. The Black Tiger Gang had no choice but to join forces with the Sky Eagle Gang to resist them.
But those two gangs each harbored their own schemes, so even together, they could do nothing to the Three Harmonies Gang.
By now, gang leader-level figures rarely took action personally. It was their underlings who fought over territory.
Feng Yuan was a high-ranking figure in the Three Harmonies Gang, second only to the gang leader. He assumed that some ignorant upstarts from the other two gangs wanted to kill him in pursuit of wealth and advancement.
Han Zheng let out a long breath in the darkness.
He had killed Wang Xiong before, slain Demons, and fought Song Tianqing and the others.
But Feng Yuan alone was a true martial artist with abundant experience in the martial world, one who had endured countless bloody battles. His senses were extraordinarily sharp.
Han Zheng had merely leaked the slightest trace of killing intent, yet Feng Yuan had caught it.
Since he could not hide, he might as well stop hiding!
The next moment, Han Zheng directly drew his saber. In the night, a flash of snow-bright blade light suddenly appeared and slashed straight at Feng Yuan!
"Peak Acquired Stage!?"
Feng Yuan had initially thought this was some minor character, but the attacker's momentum was astonishing. Even if he was not at Peak Acquired Stage, he was not far from it.
The next instant, Feng Yuan moved his hand, and an arm-length Bright Silver Spear slid from his sleeve.
He fiercely swung the spear. Amid a resounding clang of metal striking metal, Han Zheng was instantly forced back by a tremendous force.
Han Zheng's gaze hardened.
The worst outcome had appeared.
Feng Yuan was indeed at Peak Acquired Stage, only one step from shedding his mortal flesh and achieving the Innate Realm!
A section of spear shaft flew from Feng Yuan's other sleeve and aligned with the other half of the spear. With two sharp clicks, they locked together, and a Fine Iron Silver Spear appeared in Feng Yuan's hands.
The spear tip pointed at Han Zheng as Feng Yuan frowned. "Which gang are you from?"
The three gangs of Black Stone County had fought each other for so many years. Someone at Peak Acquired Stage had to be part of a gang's upper ranks; there was no reason for him not to know such a person.
Yet the other man's build and strength characteristics were completely unfamiliar to him.
"The one here to take your life!"
Han Zheng lowered his voice and gave a low shout. Blood Fiend Power spilled forth as the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand swept toward Feng Yuan on a frigid gale.
The Blood Fiend Saber Art's proficiency was not high, but it was the only saber technique Han Zheng could presently bring to bear.
Still, as a demonic path cultivation method, the Blood Fiend Saber Art possessed extreme killing power, and its might came quickly.
As long as Han Zheng grasped the method of condensing Baleful Intent, the Blood Fiend Saber Art he unleashed was likewise violent and piercing. Dazzling saber light nearly drowned Feng Yuan in an instant.
The Fine Iron Silver Spear danced in Feng Yuan's hands, blossoms of spear light revolving as they struck the Wild Goose Feather Saber with repeated explosive clangs.
His spear technique was not the style used by armies, but a standard martial-world style.
Flashy and complicated, yet its power was far from weak.
The Fine Iron Silver Spear weighed twenty to thirty catties, yet he wielded it so tightly that not even water could pass through. Han Zheng's saber momentum could advance no farther.
"Hahaha! So you are not Peak Acquired Stage!"
After exchanging more than ten moves, Feng Yuan had roughly sensed Han Zheng's strength.
Though Han Zheng's strength was not weak, he was clearly still some distance from Peak Acquired Stage.
With a thunderous shout, the Fine Iron Silver Spear in Feng Yuan's hand trembled wildly, probing through Han Zheng's saber light like a spiritual snake and shooting straight for his throat!
Han Zheng's eyes narrowed. Blood and qi throughout his body boiled and surged as he drove the power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill to its limit.
Instead of retreating, he advanced. Han Zheng twisted his body and flung out his arm, his left hand like a white ape swinging its arm as it smashed toward the Fine Iron Silver Spear!
Flesh collided head-on with an iron spear, and the impact produced a deep, booming roar.
Feng Yuan's spear was knocked aside, but Han Zheng's Wild Goose Feather Saber clung tightly to the spear shaft as it slashed forward. A trail of blinding sparks followed it as it cut straight for Feng Yuan's neck!
"White Ape Through-Arm Fist!"
He recognized it instantly. It was Li Jingzhong's signature technique from the Zhenwei Martial Arts School.
But Feng Yuan had no time to consider why someone from the Zhenwei Martial Arts School wanted to kill him.
Blood Fiend Power gathered, and the icy chill made goosebumps erupt over Feng Yuan's body.
Grasping the spear's butt, Feng Yuan gathered all his strength and flung it fiercely!
His inner strength erupted. Although the Bright Silver Spear knocked the Wild Goose Feather Saber from Han Zheng's hand, it too flew free from Feng Yuan's grasp.
Before Feng Yuan could breathe a sigh of relief, Han Zheng had already overlapped both hands and formed a somewhat strange hand seal, smashing it down from above!
A howling gale descended. Feng Yuan instinctively crossed his arms before him, only for the seal to smash them so hard that both arms fractured and tore apart instantly!
With a scream, Han Zheng's second seal had already fallen. Vajra Wrath, subdue Demons and punish evil!
Feng Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with horror.
Innate Martial Skills! This man actually possessed two Innate Martial Skills!
The thought had only just flashed through his mind when Han Zheng's third seal, carrying the utmost might of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, crashed down from above.
Bang!
With a dull crash, Feng Yuan's head split apart like a watermelon, red and white pulp splattering everywhere.