In a secluded, unremarkable little courtyard in the western part of the city.
The night was like thick ink, swallowing the entire run-down slum. The occasional bark of a dog only made the surrounding silence seem more deathly.
Lu Chen sat cross-legged on the cold, hard bed, his chest rising and falling slightly.
"Pfft!"
He forced out another mouthful of stagnant blood, which landed on the floor in a shocking smear. The blood was dark and foul-smelling, clearly old blood that had been trapped in his body for a long time.
After he spat out that mouthful, Lu Chen's face, pale as paper, finally regained the faintest hint of color.
He slowly opened his eyes. Deep within them flickered the relief of someone who had survived a disaster, but an even more chilling coldness lay beneath it.
"The Meridian Connecting Realm... It really is terrifying."
Lu Chen lowered his head and glanced at his chest. There had been a purplish-black palm print there, but thanks to the Primordial Qi Art and his powerful physique, most of the bruising had faded. Only a faint red mark remained.
If his physique hadn't been so formidable, if he hadn't already reached the pinnacle of Bone Refining, and if he hadn't had traits like "Thick Skin" and "Force Dissipation" to protect him, even a glancing blow from that palm would have been enough to shatter his heart meridians and kill him on the spot.
"Although that nighttime visit to Li Manor was dangerous, I got a thorough understanding of the Li Family's strength. More importantly..."
Lu Chen reached into his shirt and touched the copy of the Viscera Guidance Technique, still warm from his body. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile.
"I got what I came for."
In that battle,