A torrent of powerful Qi and Blood poured over Qin Shuang's bones, seeping into them and turning into nourishment that strengthened them.
Qin Shuang could clearly feel his bones growing stronger, bit by bit.
The golden bones were slowly spreading.
Night deepened.
Nine o'clock at night.
"Not bad!"
Qin Shuang slowly opened his eyes and stopped practicing the Tiger Roar Divine Intent Skill. Feeling the golden bones around the Danzhong Acupoint and Zhongting Acupoint in his chest, he was quite satisfied.
The golden bones had originally been only as large as a fingernail. Now, after absorbing the Qi and Blood boosted by the Tiger Roar Divine Intent Skill reaching proficiency, they had grown a size larger, to about the size of pigeon eggs.
"Hall Master, it's hard to catch dragonflies at night, so I only caught a dozen or so. I did manage to dig up nearly a hundred earthworms, though. Can I catch the rest of the dragonflies tomorrow?"
Just then, Liu Hao hurried in, carrying a large cage and a pottery bowl. He spoke respectfully to Qin Shuang.
"That's fine."
Qin Shuang took the cage and bowl and nodded. Suddenly, he looked toward another room in the tiled house and motioned to Liu Hao to keep quiet—someone was here. He stood up, gripped the Yellow Springs Saber, and went to the door.
Liu Hao's expression changed when he saw this. He hadn't sensed anyone outside at all.
Qin Shuang went to the door and saw a slender figure dressed in black, face masked, standing outside the window of the other room with a long sword in hand. The man was peering inside. Qin Shuang immediately asked in a low voice, "You've come here in the middle of the night. What do you want?"
The masked man turned his gaze away from the room and looked Qin Shuang up and down. He didn't answer, instead asking coolly, "Why is the White Jade Unicorn Python you brought back nothing but skin? Where's the flesh and blood?"
As the man spoke, his terrifying Qi and Blood spread out. In an instant, he seemed like a great furnace!
[ Ding! You successfully evaded the scrutiny of a Marrow Jade Realm expert. Locking Art and Blood Refining Scroll have met the requirements for advancement. Reaching Great Mastery! ]
At that moment, a notification sounded in Qin Shuang's mind.
At the same time,
a stream of information flooded into his Sea of Consciousness. It contained the methods, insights, and techniques for using the Locking Art and Blood Refining Scroll at great mastery.
At that moment, Qin Shuang felt as if he had spent nearly twenty years immersed in the Locking Art.
"Hmm? The Locking Art and Blood Refining Scroll have reached great mastery?"
Qin Shuang's eyes lit up when he heard the notification in his mind.
"What's it to you?"
Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes at the man in black. Because the Locking Art concealed his cultivation, his Qi and Blood still appeared to be at the Bone Forging Realm, with Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke.
Clearly, the man in black thought Qin Shuang was only at the Bone Forging Realm and easy to handle. He didn't take him seriously.
"Such an arrogant brat!"
Yin Tianxing narrowed his eyes at Qin Shuang and taunted him. "Let's see if you're still so tough in a moment!"
He had already examined the young man before him. He was at the Bone Forging Realm, with Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke. That was impressive talent for someone his age, but compared to Yin Tianxing's Marrow Jade Realm and Qi and Blood Furnace, he was nothing.
Even if the young man was hiding his strength, he was only sixteen or seventeen. How strong could he be?
Besides, even a lion used all its strength to hunt a rabbit. Yin Tianxing had brought two hall masters and forty elite members of the Flying Eagle Gang.
As soon as Yin Tianxing finished speaking, two black-clad figures leaped out of the darkness.
At the same time,
the sounds of fighting rang out from several other rooms, along with Jin Yang's shouts.
Led by Jin Yang and Liu Hao, thirty-eight Azure Dragon Society disciples fought off the masked men in black while retreating toward Qin Shuang.
"Brat, if you'd just handed over the White Jade Unicorn Python, I might have spared your life. Too bad you didn't seize the chance!"
A killing intent showed in Yin Tianxing's eyes. He flashed forward like a giant eagle, his long sword gleaming red as it sealed off every avenue of retreat.
"Boom!"
Qi and Blood surged from Yin Tianxing, releasing a terrifying aura that made him even more imposing.
"Is that so?!"
A glint of killing intent flashed in Qin Shuang's eyes. He drew the Yellow Springs Saber and attacked Yin Tianxing with the Blood Rage Saber Art at the proficient level.
The Yellow Springs Saber in Qin Shuang's hand became a streak of black light, almost impossible to see against the night sky!
At the same time,
terrifying Qi and Blood burst from Qin Shuang. It formed a great furnace whose range was twice as wide as Yin Tianxing's Qi and Blood Furnace!
"Clang!"
"Splurt!"
"Ahhh! My... my hand!"
The two clashed. The sound of a blade snapping rang out, followed by the sound of steel biting into flesh. Then came a shrill scream!
"Qi and Blood Furnace... you..."
Yin Tianxing clutched his right hand, now missing its palm. His face twisted as he stumbled backward, staring at Qin Shuang in terror.
He hadn't expected it.
The sixteen- or seventeen-year-old before him was actually at the Qi and Blood Furnace level, with Qi and Blood twice as powerful as his own!
And his sword was a Thousand Refined Treasure Sword made of black iron. It had snapped the moment it met that black saber.
Most terrifying of all,
he felt a dreadful chill surging into his meridians. Even his Qi and Blood couldn't suppress it!
"Such... such terrifying cold..."
Yin Tianxing shivered with cold, frost covering his body. He tried to use the Flying Eagle Six Forms to escape, but after leaping just ten feet into the air, his body stiffened and he fell to the ground.
"Thud!"
Qin Shuang flashed forward and stomped down twice, breaking both of Yin Tianxing's legs and his remaining hand. Then he charged toward the forty masked men in black, Yellow Springs Saber in hand!
Seeing their Hall Master's astonishing might, Jin Yang, Liu Hao, and all thirty-eight Martial Arts School disciples charged at the black-clad men as well!
Qin Shuang rampaged through their ranks with the Yellow Springs Saber, sweeping aside all who stood in his way. One black-clad man after another was cut in two, and screams rang out all around!
Before long,
the black-clad men lay scattered across the ground.
"Hall Master, they're from the Flying Eagle Gang! Their leader is the Flying Eagle Gang's master, Yin Tianxing. The other two hall masters are Jiang Chao and Jiang Quan."
After pulling the masks off the wounded and dead to inspect them, Jin Yang came before Qin Shuang and reported respectfully.
He was widely traveled and knew the masters and hall masters of the two great gangs in Qingzhou City.
At that moment,
Jin Yang was stunned. He hadn't expected the Hall Master to be so powerful—to break all four of Yin Tianxing's limbs in a single exchange, even though Yin Tianxing had been famous throughout Qingzhou City for years!
"The Flying Eagle Gang?"
Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes, a thought occurring to him. He said in a low voice, "I hadn't even gone looking for them, and they've come to me. Perfect. I'll use this chance to swallow up the Flying Eagle Gang and take control of its territory!"
Qin Shuang understood.
The more subordinates he had, the faster he could obtain the things he needed to simplify.
"Yin Tianxing, tell me the Flying Eagle Six Forms, and I'll give you a quick death!"
Qin Shuang held the Yellow Springs Saber and looked coolly at Yin Tianxing, who lay on the ground with frost covering even his eyebrows.
As far as Qin Shuang knew,
Yin Tianxing, the Flying Eagle Gang's master, excelled at the Flying Eagle Six Forms, a movement technique focused on leaping. He had founded the mighty Flying Eagle Gang with this technique.
Qin Shuang's Swimming Dragon Movement Technique was suited to dodging and weaving, while Grass on Flying was suited to travel and long-distance pursuits. If he could get the Flying Eagle Six Forms, his movement techniques would be complete.
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