First Qi and Blood

The courtyard fell into dead silence.

Everyone recognized the attire of the newcomers—the Black Tiger Gang!

And from the look of it, these weren't ordinary gang members.

Old Master Lu's heart lurched, but he forced himself to stay calm:

"This... good sir, what business brings you to my humble home so late? Today, my grandson—"

"Lu Tao," the leading middle-aged man cut him off directly, fixing his gaze on Lu Tao, "was it you who broke through the Blood Pass yesterday and became a Martial Artist?"

Lu Tao felt uncomfortable under that stare, but with the alcohol still buzzing in his head and the pent-up frustration from Wang Kun's extortion yesterday, he puffed out his chest and said loudly:

"That's right! It was me, Lu Tao! Your Black Tiger Gang's men strong-armed money from my family yesterday. I'm a Martial Artist now, so you'd better return those silver pieces!"

After breaking through, Lu Tao felt a surge of power, and it gave him immense confidence.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man curled his lips in a sneer.

Who was he, Wang Xiaochuan? The deputy chief of the Black Tiger Gang, and today someone actually dared to tell him to pay back money!

"Pay back money?" Wang Xiaochuan let out a derisive laugh.

Before the words faded, everyone saw only a blur.

Smack!

A crisp, sharp slap cracked through the air!

Lu Tao didn't even see how the man moved before a tremendous force slammed into his face, sending him spinning sideways through the air.

The courtyard was dead silent, broken only by Lu Tao's pained groans.

Wang Xiaochuan slowly withdrew his hand, his voice flat:

"You've just broken through the Blood Pass, and already you're this reckless? A clueless fool who doesn't know his place."

He paused, his tone turning cold. "I ask you—do you know where my nephew Wang Kun is?"

Lu Tao, already panicked, trembled at the question:

"No... no idea! I really don't know! Yesterday... yesterday Brother Wang Kun came to collect the money, and our family paid in full! You... you can't hit me again!"

Wang Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes, studying Lu Tao's pathetic demeanor. He'd already made up his mind.

"Just broke through the Blood Pass, his aura unstable. With his sorry state and meager skill, he wouldn't have the guts to take out Kun'er... It's not him."

Wang Xiaochuan mused to himself, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but more than that, grief for his nephew's death.

He'd warned Wang Kun long ago—skim the fat, but know your limits. Don't touch risky marks.

"I told you to be careful, but you had to push things to the extreme. Now you're probably dead and gone without a grave..."

Wang Xiaochuan's heart was heavy, but no matter what, Wang Kun was his own nephew. This grudge had to be settled.

He didn't spare another glance at the limp Lu Tao, turning instead to face the crowd in the yard:

"I am Wang Xiaochuan, deputy chief of the Black Tiger Gang, and Wang Kun's uncle!"

"My nephew Wang Kun went out on business a few days ago and hasn't returned—missing without a trace. I'm here today to ask around and spread the word: if anyone knows his whereabouts, come report to me at once! Provide solid leads, and the Black Tiger Gang will reward you handsomely!"

With that, he didn't linger, turning and leaving with his men.

After a long pause, someone muttered quietly:

"Wang Xiaochuan... that's the Black Tiger Gang's deputy chief? I heard he reached First Qi and Blood Complete long ago—formidable stuff..."

"First Qi and Blood Complete... my god, no wonder..."

Old Master Lu tottered forward and helped Lu Tao, who was sprawled on the ground, to his feet.

"Some damned bastard... stirred up trouble with the Black Tiger Gang, and now our Tao'er has to suffer for it!"

Second Old Lu's face went pale, then flushed.

"Dad, what do we do about this? Should we ask Instructor Liu from the Martial Arts Hall?"

"Bullshit!" Old Master Lu shot him a glare. "Is this the time for that? That Wang Xiaochuan of the Black Tiger Gang—is he someone to mess with?"

Second Old Lu's face turned even whiter.

"Then... then what do we do?"

"What do we do?" Old Master Lu snapped, flustered. "Lay low! Keep Tao'er home these days and don't let him step outside."

Lu Tao was still slumped on the ground, his eyes unfocused, muttering to himself:

"First Qi and Blood Complete... First Qi and Blood Complete..."

Unlike the heated commotion at the Lu Family Old Residence, Lu Chuan's room was silent.

Inside, Lu Chuan sat cross-legged on the bed, gathering his focus.

Over the past period of time, he had kept to himself, spending nearly all his time refining the medicinal power except for necessary meals.

The Blood Pass that had stood before him, under relentless assault day after day, had grown extremely thin.

"Counting this one, that makes five Qi and Blood Pills in total..." Lu Chuan slowly opened his eyes. "The accumulation... should be enough."

He grabbed the pill and put it into his mouth.

The pill entered his stomach and dissolved instantly, turning into surging Qi and Blood just like the previous ones.

But this time was different. Lu Chuan felt some kind of change occurring within him.

The mighty Qi and Blood, mixed with the medicinal power of five pills, launched a full-scale assault on the final barrier with unstoppable momentum!

In the depths of his being, a faint cracking sound seemed to ring out.

"Crack!"

The surging Qi and Blood burst through that invisible boundary in an instant.

The Blood Pass was broken!

Lu Chuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Then he opened his eyes and began to examine the changes in his body.

The change in his skin was the most obvious—tough and resilient, like aged cowhide. His Bones also carried a newfound sense of weight and density.

What surprised him most was his height. Two months ago, he had been about 1.7 meters tall, but now he had shot up to nearly 1.8 meters. His old clothes, once a good fit, now seemed a bit short.

His entire body was gradually filling out with muscle lines, taking on the rough outline of a lean Martial Artist's physique.

"Looks like I'm really walking further and further down the path of becoming a muscle beast..."

The goal he had long awaited was finally achieved, and Lu Chuan felt a sense of relief.

However, his excitement over the breakthrough didn't last long.

No sooner had Lu Chuan pushed open the door than he saw his father, Lu Danian, returning from outside with a look of vindication on his face.

"Chuanzi!" Lu Danian's voice was excited. "Did you hear? Something huge happened!"

"What is it?" Lu Chuan had a guess, but he feigned ignorance.

"Wang Kun is missing!" Lu Danian leaned in, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

"I heard it's been a few days! No sign of him alive, no body found dead!"

Lu Chuan nodded slightly.

This didn't surprise him, but he hadn't expected the reaction to come so fast. It seemed Wang Kun carried more weight in the Black Tiger Gang than he had thought.

"So the Black Tiger Gang is already searching?" Lu Chuan asked.

"You bet! Yesterday, some Black Tiger Gang members put out word—anyone with information on Wang Kun would be heavily rewarded!"

"That bastard, always up to no good. This time, he's probably gotten what he deserved! A wicked person always meets a worse one!"

Lu Danian spoke with relish, completely unaware that the "wicked person" he was talking about was standing right in front of him:

"Oh, and a few days ago, wasn't Second Brother's family throwing that celebration feast for Lu Tao? Well, halfway through the drinking, Black Tiger Gang members showed up asking about Wang Kun's whereabouts. The leader was Vice Chief Wang Xiaochuan! Wang Kun's uncle!"

Lu Chuan's eyes sharpened. "Wang Xiaochuan? That guy... what level is he?"

Lu Danian scratched his head. "Something like First Qi and Blood Complete... Anyway, he's strong!"

"From what people there said later, Wang Xiaochuan just casually slapped Lu Tao, sending him flying. He couldn't get up for ages!"

After saying that, Lu Danian laughed again, clearly pleased that the old estate had taken a hit.

But he didn't notice the gravity in Lu Chuan's eyes.

"First Qi and Blood Complete..."

After breaking the Blood Pass, the minor realms were divided into Minor Success, Major Success, and Complete.

Someone like him or Lu Tao, who had just broken through, was at Minor Success.

And Wang Xiaochuan, with Complete-level strength, would have no trouble taking down Lu Tao.

"I covered my tracks when I assassinated Wang Kun, but if Wang Xiaochuan can't find the real culprit... he'll eventually suspect me."

Lu Tao was just a smokescreen, and it wouldn't hold for long. He had to focus on getting stronger—fast!