Bang, bang, bang!
In the shadow-draped prison, blasts of air rang out one after another.
The sound of fists fell like dense raindrops, unceasing.
Chen Yan was like a trapped beast, swinging his fists again and again in a frenzy. He put everything he had into each punch, as if trying to shatter the endless darkness.
Hiss, hiss, hiss...
Scarlet flames of Qi and Blood roared over Chen Yan's right arm, surging with each punch. They spread toward his shoulder, his neck, and even the top of his head.
Only by throwing punches—only by throwing punches—could he keep the flames from going out, until they consumed his whole body.
Wherever the flames of Qi and Blood burned, Chen Yan's skin rippled like beans sizzling in a pan.
Excruciating pain.
As his Qi and Blood burned, his flesh was indeed being scorched. With every punch...
Chen Yan gritted his teeth. Sweat poured from him like a bubbling spring, only to turn into white mist and scatter. Each punch made the flames of Qi and Blood burn a little more fiercely, scorching another patch of flesh.
"Are you insane? Breaking your limits again and again will kill you. People have limits."
The girl spoke from within the Red Light before him, her voice wavering with uncertainty and shock.
She couldn't sense it clearly. The more vigorous Chen Yan's Qi and Blood became, the more indistinct her perception grew.
But she was sure of one thing: tonight, he had already gone through Limit Breaking Awakening several times.
That was how Limit Breaking Awakening worked.
But break too many limits at once, and a person would die.
Boom, boom, boom!
As Chen Yan kept punching, the power that had once surged like a burst dam began to dry up. Now, it felt as though the strength in his entire body was being forcibly squeezed from every cell.
His punches grew slower and slower, harder and harder to throw. He could feel the flesh on his right arm splitting open.
Hiss...
As Chen Yan slowed down, the flames of Qi and Blood that had spread to his neck began to die out.
"Give up. Take your time. We may be rivals, but you don't have to seek your own death," the girl said.
Within the Cloud Palace, exquisite potted plants stood beneath soaring eaves and carved brackets, while trickling streams wound around artificial hills.
A girl of about ten stood on smooth bluestone tiles, watching the blurry red figure before her throw punch after punch. Her body couldn't help but shrink back.
He was still holding on. Was he insane?
He could eat a spirit item containing such pure Blood Energy. His family must be incredibly wealthy.
Why was he pushing himself so hard?
The red figure before her grew slower and slower with each punch. Only then did the girl let out a long breath.
She was truly afraid he'd push through in one go and awaken.
What am I thinking? My sister told me I need a willingness to face death to succeed in one fell swoop. She let out a sigh of relief.
A willingness to face death might sound simple, but it was harder than reaching the heavens.
"Give up. Take your time, big brother," the girl said.
The next moment, she abruptly froze. The shock in the eyes of the girl named Gong Fanyin was beyond measure.
He'd started again. He was speeding up.
Wasn't he in pain?
Outside the courtyard, two figures strolled along. On the tall walls of carved cloudstone to either side, cranes and soaring dragons had been sculpted so vividly they seemed alive.
"The Old Chief Director will surely be going to the Frontline this year. This time, Hengwen, you need to move quickly."
The white-haired old man spoke slowly, his deep gaze resting on the imposing, middle-aged man beside him, who wore a Green Robe.
"Shen Yiwei is pushing hard too. Chu Cang in Luoshan County has already been dismissed..." The man named Gong Hengwen sighed, narrowing his eyes as a cold glint flashed in them.
"Shen Yiwei." The old man furrowed his brows.
"He despises the great families. His subordinates have been deeply influenced by him, and they hate the Gong Family to the bone.
"But you needn't worry. I have plans for Luoshan County."
Gong Hengwen trembled slightly and looked at the old man in surprise.
"The Chu Family?"
The old man smiled without answering. He came to a courtyard and pushed open the door.
"Fanyin is about to undergo Limit Breaking Awakening. She's your niece, after all. You should teach her."
Gong Hengwen smiled and nodded, then followed him inside.
"Fanyin, the moment Grandpa walked in, I saw you slacking off." The old man smiled fondly at the girl, who sat dazed on the ground.
But the girl looked over at them, her face streaked with tears and her expression miserable.
"Grandpa, Uncle, I... I'm going to fail."
The old man and Gong Hengwen froze. They couldn't see the Red Light in front of the girl; only she could.
After hearing what had happened, the old man hurriedly said, "Then hurry up and train. Keep up with him!"
There were still tears in Gong Fanyin's eyes, but she nodded resolutely, stood up, and began swinging her arms through a set of extremely strange movements. Sweat beaded on her skin.
"However it goes, I have a better foundation than him," Gong Fanyin insisted.
"Much better!"
Beside her, Gong Hengwen frowned.
"Before awakening, a body capable of Limit Breaking Awakening can't absorb anything from outside. According to Fanyin, that boy swallowed a spirit item in an instant, and his Qi and Blood surged. Even if it faded quickly, that's still abnormal."
The old man's gaze flickered as he finally realized the key point.
"An item that can affect Limit Breaking Awakening?"
Gong Hengwen shook his head.
"It didn't affect it, because according to Fanyin, the boy's Qi and Blood faded quickly. But it did cause his body to produce a vast amount of Qi and Blood in an instant.
"An item like that..."
The old man froze. "Earth Vein Level, or... Azure Sky Level?"
"It couldn't be lower than Earth Vein Level. It might even have been a Morning Star Level spirit item. Someone who can consume such a treasure must be either the child of someone in the High Command of the Town Martial Division, or..." Gong Hengwen began.
The old man's mouth fell open, shock impossible to conceal in his eyes. "The Five Clans!"
He found it strange. If the boy's status was so high, why was his foundation so much worse than his granddaughter's?
The next moment, the old man looked at Gong Fanyin and barked, "Even if he's from the Five Clans, we still have to compete!
"Fanyin, keep going. This is your opportunity. Use it to awaken in one fell swoop. That person will be your stepping stone!"
Meanwhile.
In the underground prison of the Town Martial Hall, in a remote rural town—
"Holy crap!"
Luo Puxin's head was cocked stiffly to one side as he stared at the flickering glow of Qi and Blood inside the iron cell.
Chen Yan was still punching. His arms, his head, and his entire upper body were now burning with Qi and Blood.
It was scorching and surging wildly. Wind and waves roared through the iron cell, a terrifying sight.
"Limit Breaking Awakening!" Luo Puxin's mouth gaped open. His head was spinning.
He'd even written Chen Yan a letter telling him to give up on Limit Breaking Awakening.
There had been no hope, after all.
But now...
He could see that Chen Yan was in agony, yet he could also see the steely determination in him.
Like a single wisp of green in a boundless, barren land, he struggled free, swayed in the wind, and silently roared at the bleak northern gale.
Nothing could make a person more awe-struck than sheer willpower.
That was Limit Breaking Awakening. He had started with so much less preparation time, and now he was going all in.
Luo Puxin knew he couldn't help Chen Yan. Limit Breaking Awakening could only be achieved alone.
"Insane. The damn bastard's insane." Luo Puxin gritted his teeth, then abruptly flashed to the prison entrance.
With a bang, Luo Puxin shut the iron prison door. Zhuang Xihang, Chen Yuxu, and Wang Yang, who were about to enter, all froze.
Behind them, Xin Gongxian, who had been following Yin Yanjun, nearly crumpled. His face had gone deathly pale, and he almost fell over.
"Director Luo, what... what are you doing?" Zhuang Xihang frowned.
He needed to see Chen Yan. Chen Yan had incredible talent, and he wanted to take him on as a disciple right then and there.
He was in a hurry—an extreme hurry. If he was too late, someone else might snatch him up.
Luo Puxin's eyes flickered as he said, "Chen Yan is about to condense Pattern Lines. Don't disturb him."
"Condense Pattern Lines? Didn't he just condense one Strength Stripe?" Zhuang Xihang raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
Was Chen Yan really that talented?
"This talent is absurd," Yin Yanjun said, his face full of shock.
"Senior Yin, my son's a genius," Chen Yuxu said with a proud smile. He looked at Wang Yang. "Right, Old Wang?"
Wang Yang pressed his lips together. Shock still lingered in his eyes. He glanced at Chen Yuxu, at a loss for words.
Did he even know what condensing Pattern Lines meant?
Luo Puxin looked at everyone and chuckled coldly.
Absurd?
You have no idea how I feel.
I'd just seen something even more absurd!
He pondered. Limit Breaking Awakening couldn't be exposed. His own people could know, but if the great families found out, Chen Yan would be in trouble.
The benefits were enormous, but so were the risks!
And if Chen Yan really succeeded, he would surely make quite a commotion in a moment.
How could he cover it up?
"He... condensed another one?" At the very back, Xin Gongxian gaped. The color had drained from his face again.
Chen Yan was really that talented?
You could've said something.
Why didn't you say anything?
You're a genius. You should've told me!
His heart was filled with regret, but then he saw Luo Puxin walking toward him.
Luo Puxin slapped Xin Gongxian on the shoulder. Xin Gongxian flinched in pain, nearly feeling his shoulder shatter. He looked up trembling, only to see Luo Puxin glaring at him.
"Chen Yan is condensing Pattern Lines. I'm free tonight, so I'll take a look at your work records!"
"Huh?" Xin Gongxian's eyes flew wide. He was a nobody now. Why was Luo Puxin targeting him again?
He could barely breathe, overwhelmed by despair.
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