Fourth Realm: Blood Change, Crimson Scale Talent

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Outside Linyuan City, the morning glow lit the layered mountains. In a mountain hollow, more than a dozen fierce-looking figures had gathered, each armed with a weapon.

Another figure stood motionless amid the shadowy woods.

He was broad and towering, with a square shield and short spear strapped to his back. His presence was heavy and commanding, clearly marking him as their leader.

A man with broom-like brows and triangular eyes was humbly reporting Intelligence Information to him.

"Boss Wei, these are the finest targets I've recently scoped out in the city. There are four households in all, every one of them a wealthy merchant.

"As long as you lead the brothers into action, they'll be ours for the taking!"

"Let me see."

The burly man took the information booklet and examined it closely. His bright, piercing gaze scanned every line and every word, as though unwilling to overlook a single detail.

After a while, he made his selection. His gaze settled on the Chu Family and the Liu Family, and he smiled. "These two are decent. They seem wealthy enough.

"But the Liu Family recently spent a fortune hiring two Muscle Refining Martial Masters. That alone is nothing, no real threat—but their residence is close to the County Yamen. That makes things troublesome.

"The Chu Family, though..."

Seeing this, Broom-Brows hurriedly smiled. "The Chu Family is good. I've looked into them. They haven't hired any Martial Cultivators as guards, and their location is rather secluded.

"The only thing worth noting is that Young Master Chu seems to have learned some martial arts. He may be a Muscle Refining Realm Martial Master."

"A Second Realm: Muscle Training Martial Master is nothing."

The burly man sneered, his eyes blazing. "But you missed one very important point.

"That young master of the Chu Family is indeed rich, but his elder sister is a formal disciple of the Hidden Water Sect. The Hidden Water Sect is not to be provoked."

"A Hidden Water Sect disciple?!"

Broom-Brows immediately broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that his Intelligence Information had missed something.

It seemed Boss Wei had arranged for more than just him to gather information in the city.

He hurriedly tried to remedy matters with a fawning smile. "Boss Wei, a Hidden Water Sect disciple is distant water that cannot put out a nearby fire.

"As long as we keep our hands clean, there are so many bandits and marauders in the world—who would know it was us?

"By the time his sister learns that her brother is dead and rushes back, every clue will be gone."

"Hmph! Of course I know all that. Otherwise, would I have chosen the Chu Family? You've only just joined and aren't yet proficient. Miss information again next time, and you'll be dealt with according to the sect laws."

Fu Wei's eyes flickered with vicious light. He studied the booklet in further detail, then said pensively, "We are horse bandits. After a raid, we simply move elsewhere. And with the Holy Cult at our backs, we need not fear the Hidden Water Sect.

"For the Holy Cult's great cause, we can sacrifice our lesser selves to forge the Holy Cult's path to glory."

At the mention of the Holy Cult, everyone's expressions immediately turned fanatical.

Fu Wei said, "A few days ago, we pulled off a job. The City Guard Captain and the others are still investigating and have yet to figure out our exact situation. We can enter the city for another round of plunder. The Chu Family is indeed a suitable choice."

"Boss, tell us what you plan to do! Give the word! The brothers will risk their lives and follow you!" a short, fat man at the side said viciously.

After giving it some thought, Fu Wei made up his mind. Flicking the roster of wealthy merchants in his hand, he said in a deep voice, "Report this roster to the stronghold first.

"This time, I'll act personally and take three men into the city. We'll travel light, fight fast, and end it quickly.

"The rest of you will spread out outside the city. After the raid, flee into the mountains and forests to draw away the City Guard Captain's attention, making him think we're all still outside the city."

When he finished speaking, he glanced sideways at Broom-Brows. "Wu Sheng, you still need to investigate more carefully. Once this succeeds, you can join us properly. When the time comes, I can even recommend you for entry into the cult."

Broom-Brows rejoiced at this. "Yes! I'll go take care of it at once."

One day later.

The Chu Family.

Inside a quiet chamber.

Heavy, intimidating breaths, like those of a fierce tiger or beast, slowly echoed out.

As the view drew closer, a tall young man with iron-blue skin mottled with bronze stood in a stance like a fearsome tiger poised to seize its prey, circulating his blood and qi.

It was Chu Ge, who had successfully broken through to the Fourth Realm: Blood Change after four days of cultivation.

As his blood and qi surged throughout his body, streams of invisible energy rose from his physique. They could not be seen with the naked eye, yet they seemed to throw the surrounding air into faint disorder, as though invisible currents were churning.

A moth flapped over. Before it came within half a zhang of him, it suddenly struggled and spun about in confusion, as if caught in an unseen turbulent airflow.

Invulnerable to a Feather's Touch, Immune to Insects!

Chu Ge opened his mouth, the vocal cords in his throat vibrating as he released a low tiger's roar.

"Roar—!"

A shockwave of air blasted from his throat.

The moth instantly exploded into dust.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The rows of candles opposite him were snuffed out in an instant, some even toppling over as wisps of white smoke rose.

Through his inner awareness, Chu Ge could sense that the power of his blood and qi had already penetrated his bones and meridians, beginning to enter his five viscera and six bowels, strengthening them.

Even in the tiniest blood vessels and every nerve ending, there was a presence of "qi," like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind into every corner.

Now, the bones throughout his body faintly tingled with an itchy numbness. That was his marrow changing blood, brimming with vitality.

After four days of seclusion and the expenditure of over a hundred and twenty strands of otherforce, he had finally broken through. He had officially entered the fourth realm of martial arts—the Blood Change Realm.

At this level, he already ranked among the very best within Linyuan City. It was considered the strongest realm one could attain before cultivating otherforce.

"Right now, every bit of flesh, blood, and bone in my body seems filled to the brim with power! It's no longer merely physical strength, but that surging qi, ready to erupt at any moment! I'm far stronger than before."

Chu Ge was exhilarated.

He had transmigrated three years ago and had practiced martial arts for about two and a half years. To have reached this point, he truly could not have done without day after day, night after night of hard work.

He walked out of the quiet chamber and entered the spacious martial arts training room outside.

His figure flashed.

A thunderous bang echoed through the sealed training chamber.

A thousand-pound stone roller was sent tilting with a casual palm strike from Chu Ge.

This was precisely the Tiger King Gouges the Heart stance of the Crouching Tiger Fist.

Almost the instant the stone roller tilted, Chu Ge followed up with a spinning kick like the sweep of a tail, lashing it like a tiger's tail against the stone roller.

Rumble—!

The stone roller flew away. He sprang after it like a fierce tiger leaping a ravine, charging diagonally forward. Elbow bent and shoulder raised, the muscles in his arm bulged like entwined pythons as he viciously drove a Heart-Ramming Strike straight into the stone roller. A force of qi condensed from boiling blood and qi burst free from his body.

With an explosive bang, fierce winds swept the ground and stone dust sprayed everywhere. A huge gap directly blew open at the center of the stone roller, which shot away with a roar, hit the ground, and rolled several times before finally stopping when it crashed into the wall.

Those few movements were practically identical to Hu Xuezhi's demonstration, yet even smoother and more ferocious in momentum.

"My strength has increased by quite a bit! Most importantly, my blood and qi now protect my Five Viscera and Six Bowels and Heart Meridian. Even other Blood Change Realm experts would find it difficult to severely injure my internal organs. And besides—"

"Blood and qi surge, force qi released!"

Chu Ge exhaled, and suddenly his body drew like a bow before springing outward. His arms curved inward as though cradling a ball—this was Tiger Pounce, Bear Hug from the Crouching Tiger Fist.

As he made that embrace, the blood and qi throughout his body surged.

At once, the airflow around him formed a circle, while the ground howled with an actual mournful whistling sound.

He suddenly let out a low roar and flung both arms outward.

Boom, crack—!

A blast of air surged straight out, instantly sending the surrounding tables and chairs tumbling and breaking like fallen leaves swept up by the wind. They rolled in every direction, smashing to pieces upon impact.

"Good!"

Chu Ge abruptly withdrew his hands. The Hair Strands dancing in the wind fell over his shoulders, and his blood and qi gradually settled.

After this brief test, he knew that in terms of blood and qi strength alone, even though he had only just broken through, he might already surpass Hu Xuezhi, who had displayed his strength that day.

Even if Hu Xuezhi had held something back, should they truly fight, a Blood Change Realm martial artist whose blood and qi had declined would still fall short of a newly advanced practitioner like him in both explosive power and endurance of blood and qi.

"Now that I've officially broken through to the Blood Change Realm, I only need to wait for the blood in my marrow to be completely replaced before my realm is fully stabilized. As for the Force Condensation Realm..."

Chu Ge pondered. He did not know much about that realm, which required Spiritual Aptitude to enter.

There were no Force Condensation Realm experts in Linyuan City either.

Perhaps he would need to leave Linyuan City, or learn more about that realm through his elder sister, Chu Feixue.

"Come to think of it, the letter I sent my elder sister last time should have reached her long ago. I wonder when she'll write back."

As his blood and qi calmed, the iron-blue and even bronze hue of his skin returned to normal.

He lowered his head and glanced at the Dragon Clock on his wrist.

He discovered that the Wooden Fish belonging to the abbot of Linshan Temple and the Red Scale Claw Fish he had previously sacrificed had both finished refining after several days.

After the Wooden Fish was refined, it did not gain any unusual function. Instead, it turned into two strands of otherforce.

Clearly, otherforce was the most precious thing about that Wooden Fish.

The abbot of Linshan Temple might not have been an enlightened monk after all. Despite chanting sutras, worshipping Buddha, and striking it for many years, he had failed to imbue the object with any special ability.

The Red Scale Claw Fish, however, had been refined into a special innate ability.

Red Scale Claw: (Red Claw Scale Fish Talent) (After mastering it, one may inherit the corresponding low-grade talent. The precise degree of inheritance compatibility depends on one's own physique and bloodline. Strong rejection results in low compatibility; high compatibility will render both claws impervious to blades and spears, unafraid of water or fire, and increase strength. This talent will gradually vanish as bloodline power is consumed. Maintaining this talent state requires the expenditure of otherforce.)