"I should find some time to take out the Fine Rain Blade my cheap old man left behind and strengthen it. Let's see how far I can take it."
Su Chen thought to himself.
He had the 20-year Blade Cultivation Technique. If he paired it with a treasured blade, its power would surely be extraordinary when he used it.
He could kill someone at the Innate Peak Stage or even the early Spirit Refining Stage with a single slash.
This time, he had come away with a decent haul.
He steadied his mind, then took out the Innate Pills.
He swallowed one.
Boom!
The moment the Innate Pill entered his mouth, it dissolved. A surge of pure innate energy immediately welled up inside him.
Su Chen quickly circulated the Mountain River Skill of the Mountain River Sect, guiding the innate energy into his dantian.
The Mountain River Skill was one of the Mountain River Sect's top cultivation techniques.
But Su Chen only had the first four levels.
He would need to make a contribution or pay to obtain the fifth level.
Still, the first four levels were enough for him for now.
As he circulated the Mountain River Skill, the medicinal effects of the Innate Pills were rapidly absorbed.
After consuming five Innate Pills,
Su Chen felt that the innate energy in his body had increased a little.
"Whether it's internal or external cultivation, the resources it takes are no joke. As they say, scholars can get by on poverty, but martial artists need wealth."
Su Chen thought to himself.
Night had fallen.
The bright moon hung in the sky.
Inside Ling Tianhe's residence, he sat alone in his study.
His eyes were half-lidded, and his face looked somewhat weary.
There were too few clues about Song Yuan. He had no leads at all.
No one in Qingcheng City who practiced Cold Attribute Cultivation Methods had reached such a level. That made him suspect the newcomer might be an outsider.
Once outsiders were involved, investigating the matter would be especially difficult.
"Who exactly killed Song Yuan? He was just an ordinary steward. He knew nothing."
Ling Tianhe pondered, his eyes narrowed.
Song Yuan's death left him baffled. He hadn't been able to uncover a single clue.
If the other party meant to issue a warning, why had they chosen yesterday?
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he sprang up from his chair.
In a flash, he was out of the study.
At that moment, a figure darted away from him.
Ling Tianhe quickly gave chase.
The figure stopped at a pavilion in the back courtyard and turned to face Ling Tianhe.
The newcomer looked to be around thirty, with a lean build. Yet his exposed hands were broad, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
When Ling Tianhe saw who it was, his expression changed and his pupils contracted sharply. "Lei Ao, why have you come to my residence in the middle of the night?"
As he spoke, Ling Tianhe tensed, warily scanning his surroundings.
After all, he knew that the person who had killed Su Mengbai was at Lei Ao's residence.
Lei Ao had come to see him now. He certainly hadn't come for a chat.
Whatever he wanted, it couldn't be good.
"Deputy Tower Lord Ling, don't be nervous. I came alone. I'm here to discuss one matter with you."
"I want you to hand over the iron mine your Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower owns in Huo Village outside the city to my Lei Hall."
Lei Ao looked at Ling Tianhe as he spoke.
At Lei Ao's words, Ling Tianhe's gaze turned cold.
"Lei Ao, you've got some nerve, demanding a mine from my Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower!"
Ling Tianhe hadn't expected Lei Ao to open by demanding one of their mines.
This was nothing less than outright robbery.
"Deputy Tower Lord Ling, it's just one mine. Think about it: trading a mine for your life is well worth it."
Lei Ao spoke in a casual tone.
Though his voice was calm, it carried a threat.
"Lei Ao, are you threatening me?"
Ling Tianhe's gaze sharpened, and a surge of energy burst from his body.
Earlier that day, Su Chen had beaten him to a pulp. Now Lei Ao was threatening him too.
He was already simmering with rage.
Lei Ao's provocation pushed him over the edge, and he attacked at once, appearing before Lei Ao in a flash, swift as thunder.
"This!"
Lei Ao's expression tightened as Ling Tianhe charged at him, but his figure blurred into an afterimage.
Ling Tianhe's palm passed straight through it, missing its mark.
Ling Tianhe didn't hesitate. He curled his hand into a claw and struck back toward another spot. Five sharp bursts of energy erupted from his fingers.
Bang!
His palm energy collided with a fist.
A flash of lightning flickered over the fist.
The two forces clashed, and both men staggered back several paces.
"You're injured?"
Lei Ao studied Ling Tianhe, his eyes narrowing.
Ling Tianhe was at the Innate Mid Stage and on the verge of breaking through to the Innate Late Stage.
His strength was slightly greater than Lei Ao's.
But when he had just attacked, his energy had lacked follow-through. It was obvious he was injured.
The Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower and Lei Hall were both among Qingcheng City's five major powers.
But Lei Hall ranked first, while the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower ranked third in wealth and last in martial strength.
Of course, Su Mengbai had once been at the Innate Peak Stage, on a par with the master of Lei Hall.
And with the Zitan Palace behind them, no one had dared openly make trouble for the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
As for the others in the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, their strength lagged far behind.
"Even injured, I can still fight you."
Ling Tianhe replied coldly.
Earlier that day, in the secret chamber, Su Chen had struck him with such overwhelming force that he'd been wounded and left unable to fight back.
Part of the reason was Su Chen's formidable strength. Another part was Ling Tianhe's carelessness.
Otherwise, he didn't believe he would have lost to Su Chen.
"I didn't come here to fight you. I only hope you'll think it over, Deputy Tower Lord Ling. I'll come back tomorrow for your answer."
With that, Lei Ao vanished in a flash, drifting away like a specter.
Ling Tianhe watched Lei Ao leave, his brow furrowing.
He couldn't understand why Lei Ao had suddenly withdrawn.
Normally, after learning that Ling Tianhe was injured, Lei Ao should have pressed his advantage rather than simply leaving.
"But with Lei Ao showing up, it seems Lei Hall has its eye on the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's assets."
Ling Tianhe's expression darkened.
He turned and went back.
A short while later, he returned to his study.
When he entered, he found someone sitting in his armchair.
The person sitting there was none other than Su Chen.
"Deputy Tower Lord Ling, do you think Lei Ao came all this way just to demand my Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's mine?"
Su Chen looked at Ling Tianhe.
Su Chen's words made Ling Tianhe's heart jolt.
He hadn't realized Su Chen had been nearby the whole time. Neither he nor Lei Ao had noticed him.
"Don't be surprised. There's something else I need to tell you. I was the one who killed Song Yuan with a single palm strike!"
As he spoke, Su Chen raised his left hand. A frigid aura filled the study in an instant.
Su Chen, who had been sitting in the chair, shot toward Ling Tianhe and appeared before him.
He thrust a palm at Ling Tianhe's chest.
Seeing this, Ling Tianhe immediately raised his hand to block Su Chen's strike.
Thud!
Their palms collided.
He felt an extremely cold force surge into his arm. His hand immediately seemed to stop obeying him.
A wave of chilling energy swept toward his heart meridian.
He quickly mobilized his inner strength to resist the cold.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a rune appeared in the palm of Su Chen's right hand and shot toward Ling Tianhe's forehead.
For some reason, the moment the rune appeared in Su Chen's palm, Ling Tianhe felt a surge of terror.
He tried with all his strength to move.
But in the next instant, a terrifying pressure descended upon him.
His body became completely immobile.
He could only watch helplessly as the rune pressed against his head.
The moment it touched him, the rune turned transparent and merged straight into Ling Tianhe's mind.
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