Clash, Breakthrough

Su Chen then knocked the maid unconscious and headed toward the rockery.

There were no guards here. It seemed Qin Hao was quite confident in himself.

Su Chen searched around the rockery and eventually found the mechanism. He opened the secret chamber.

A bloody stench filled the chamber.

As he stepped inside, a blood pool appeared before him.

Thick blood flowed within it.

"How many people were killed to make this?"

Su Chen stared at the pool, his eyes widening in shock.

Although he had killed people since arriving here,

it had only been a handful. But this blood pool held far more than the blood of just a few people.

"How do I destroy this? Smash it with one palm?"

Su Chen looked at the pool, thinking.

He had come to cause trouble for Qin Hao. Since he couldn't take the blood away, he could only destroy it.

[Discovered a small blood pool. It can be used to condense Blood God Pills. Reward: Blood God Pill Refining Method. Successfully refine Blood God Pills to receive 3 White Draw Cards.]

Just then, a stream of information entered Su Chen's mind.

It was a set of alchemical techniques for refining Blood God Pills.

But refining Blood God Pills took time.

Judging by what had just happened, Qin Hao would be coming to the secret chamber soon.

Su Chen had no time to refine the blood in the pool into Blood God Pills.

The secret chamber was rather bare, with nowhere to hide.

Su Chen glanced at the stone door.

He went outside and hid nearby.

He planned to wait for Qin Hao to arrive.

Qin Hao's strength was at Innate Peak.

Su Chen was close to Innate Mid Stage, but his physical strength rivaled Innate Late Stage.

He wanted to face Qin Hao head-on.

As for the danger, Su Chen wasn't worried. He hadn't come alone; Bai Tianyu had been following behind him the whole time.

If Su Chen ever found himself in extreme danger, Bai Tianyu would step in.

The thought made Su Chen a little excited.

Qin Hao was at Innate Peak, three minor stages above him.

A fight with him ought to help Su Chen improve.

His previous few fights had been too easy.

This time, he ought to get a real workout.

Su Chen loved this kind of blood-pumping battle.

A short while later,

a figure approached from the distance.

It was Qin Hao. He held a brocade box in his hand, and no one followed behind him.

There was no need for Bai Tianyu to show himself and hold Qin Hao back now.

Qin Hao reached the rockery and opened the secret passage.

After entering the chamber, Qin Hao opened the brocade box in his hand.

A wave of bloody, baleful energy rushed out. Inside was a crimson painting depicting a flood dragon; the baleful energy was coming from the creature in the painting.

"With the Blood Devouring Flood Dragon Diagram and the blood of those in the Innate Realm, I'll surely break into the Spirit Refining Realm today."

A smile spread across Qin Hao's face.

"I never thought I'd come away with such a treasure."

As he smiled, a deep voice suddenly sounded behind him, echoing through the secret chamber.

The unexpected voice changed Qin Hao's expression. He turned toward where it had come from.

At the chamber entrance,

Su Chen, dressed in a black cloak, walked in slowly, his steps light and silent.

"Who are you?"

Qin Hao steadied himself and addressed Su Chen coldly.

"You killed people to practice your cultivation. I'm here for revenge."

Su Chen spoke.

Qin Hao's face twisted into a vicious sneer. "You think I'll believe your bullshit?"

"Take off your mask, and I'll know who you are."

Rumble!

Qin Hao didn't hesitate. He struck first, taking a single step forward as his figure turned into a streak of blood-red light and appeared before Su Chen.

He raised his hand, which transformed into a blood-red blade, and slashed down at incredible speed.

Su Chen's expression grew solemn as he faced the attack.

Qin Hao was even stronger than he'd imagined, and his attacks were vicious.

Su Chen retreated swiftly, dodging the blood-red blade formed by Qin Hao's palm.

"You're backing away!"

Seeing Su Chen retreat, Qin Hao gave a cold smile.

He had attacked partly to test his opponent's strength.

Now that his opponent had avoided a direct clash, it meant he was no match for Qin Hao.

A surge of force welled beneath Qin Hao's feet, lifting him into the air.

Then he threw a punch at Su Chen.

A violent surge of vital blood coursed through the punch's wind, engulfing Su Chen.

Rather than retreat from Qin Hao's attack, Su Chen raised his left hand and activated the Ice Qilin Arm. A stream of cold energy immediately appeared in his palm.

The cold energy seemed to suppress the violent force of vital blood.

Their fists collided, and a wave of force erupted through the secret chamber.

Both of them staggered back several steps.

"What powerful cold energy. So you're the one who killed Lei Ao."

"Today, I'll find out who you are!"

As Qin Hao spoke, the force within him surged. His figure blurred and appeared behind Su Chen like a ghost.

He reached out to grab Su Chen's back. Crimson light gathered between his five fingers, and in the blink of an eye, they turned blood-red, radiating a sharp, cutting force.

But Su Chen suddenly spun around and blocked the attack with a punch from his left hand.

Then he reached out with his right hand as well, aiming for Qin Hao's throat.

His movements were incredibly fast.

Qin Hao's expression changed. He hurriedly retreated.

But the instant Qin Hao backed away, Su Chen stamped down. The rocky ground shattered beneath his foot as a violent force surged through his body.

He drove the Vajra Primordial Force to its limit, and a faint golden sheen appeared around his palm.

Then he slammed his fist down.

The instant the punch landed, a rumble shook the entire secret chamber.

"What?!"

Qin Hao felt the violent force of the attack and was shocked.

The force within his body erupted, crimson energy bursting from his fist.

Rumble!

Their powers collided. Both men flew backward and struck the walls before coming to a stop.

"Your body may be a little stronger than average, but you're still no match for me."

Qin Hao calmed the surging blood in his chest and spoke coldly.

"Let's settle that after we've fought!"

After their exchange, Su Chen felt the energy in his body circulating rapidly.

The remnants of the Innate Pills he had swallowed earlier were stirring.

He could feel the signs of a breakthrough.

How could he stop fighting now?

Qin Hao's eyes turned cold. He charged at Su Chen.

"Blood Python Force!"

Crimson energy flowed through him, and the faint shape of a blood python emerged.

The blood python coiled around his fist.

Su Chen sensed danger.

"Qilin Arm!"

Su Chen shouted. A phantom qilin appeared along his arm.

But as soon as the phantom appeared, the innate energy in his body began rapidly depleting.

Using the Qilin Arm consumed the innate energy within Su Chen.

Boom!

The two men clashed with ferocious force.

They were both knocked back several steps.

The sleeves on their arms instantly tore apart, and the meridians beneath their skin looked ready to burst.

"You're only at Early Innate Stage. You haven't even reached Innate Mid Stage."

Qin Hao sensed Su Chen's strength, his expression darkening as shock filled his heart.

He couldn't believe that the man who had fought him so many times was only at Early Innate Stage.

"I'm not at Early Innate Stage. I'm at Innate Mid Stage!"

Boom!

The last exchange had depleted the innate energy in Su Chen's body.

But a new stream of innate energy began to flow through him, stronger than before.

Using the power of that full-force blow, Su Chen had broken through to Innate Mid Stage.