Qi Casting Fifth Layer

The next day.

Lianshan City, Beicheng, Blood Wolf Gang headquarters.

Qin Sihai sat on a tiger-skin chair, fiddling with two iron balls in his hand, his expression incomparably gloomy.

A night had passed.

Ma Wen had not returned.

He was one of the best scouts in the Shadow Hall.

Ma Wen had once lurked right in front of him, and his ability to conceal his aura was so great that he hadn't even noticed him when he was within ten feet.

How could such a scout fail?

Unless...

"Chen Xuan!" Qin Sihai whispered the name, the iron balls in his hand stopping their rotation. "What level have you actually reached?"

The sense of foreboding in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

Lei Hu had reached the first level of the Zhuqi Realm by practicing a superior martial art, yet he hadn't even made a ripple when he went to Baishui Town.

Ma Wen, one of the best scouts in the Shadow Hall who had helped the Blood Wolf Gang gather countless pieces of intelligence, had also lost contact after entering Baishui Town.

Qin Sihai's well-laid plans had completely fallen through.

To this day, he still did not know Chen Xuan's true strength.

"I hope Liu Feng does not disappoint me."

Qin Sihai muttered to himself.

If Lei Hu was dead, then he was dead; this had been a probe from the start, and he hadn't truly expected Lei Hu to kill Chen Xuan.

The one who could truly kill Chen Xuan was the inner sect disciple Liu Feng, whose cultivation had reached the third level of the Zhuqi Realm and who practiced the superior Blood Origin Technique. Even if Chen Xuan's cultivation had reached the first level of the Zhuqi Realm, Liu Feng would still be able to handle him.

A top-tier technique at the first level of the Zhuqi Realm opened thirty-six qi channels, while a superior technique at the third level of the Zhuqi Realm could connect forty-eight qi channels, giving him an advantage in the number of connected qi channels.

If Liu Feng made a move, Chen Xuan would surely die.

And all he had to do was wait.

Baishui Town.

The sun had set.

Chen Xuan opened his panel.

Host: Chen Xuan

Fate: Zhaoxi Bizheng

Root Bone: Upper-middle

Realm: Zhuqi Realm Second Level (Pimai Mid-stage)

Martial Arts: Giant Whale Body Refining Technique/Ninth Layer, Mountain Crushing Fist/Great Success, Vajra Technique/Sixth Layer (Qi Channels Connected: 82/108), Nine Shadow Killing Sword/Second Layer (Proficient), Huanri Technique/Not Yet Initiated

Zhaoxi Value: 1

"Consume Zhaoxi Value to upgrade the Huanri Technique."

Chen Xuan focused his mind.

Hum—

Familiar images flooded into his mind.

Unlike the Vajra Technique, the practice of the Huanri Technique did not involve the tempering of the physical body, but rather the precise control of breath and body.

In the vision, Chen Xuan sat cross-legged, following the mental cultivation method of the Huanri Technique, adjusting his breathing, heartbeat, and the circulation of his blood and qi over and over again. He retracted his own aura bit by bit, as if gradually covering a bright lamp with a black cloth; the light grew dimmer and fainter.

This process was extremely tedious and extremely long.

But the Chen Xuan in the vision knew no fatigue, neither sleeping nor resting, practicing day after day.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Xuan had retracted his aura to the extreme; at this moment, he was like a stone, without the slightest trace of life.

One year of bitter cultivation.

It was not over yet.

Chen Xuan continued to practice, moving toward the Zhuqi Realm.

Normally, the qi channels opened by different techniques differed, with only a few overlapping; if the techniques were of the same attribute, perhaps the number of overlapping qi channels would be higher.

The Huanri Technique was a peerless art, and to reach the first level of the Zhuqi Realm, one needed to open seventy-two qi channels.

However, the Huanri Technique was different from other techniques.

The Huanri Technique would not conflict with any other technique because, due to the nature of the technique, it could simulate the true qi of other techniques, meaning that the qi channels opened by any technique were compatible with the Huanri Technique.

Chen Xuan had been practicing the Vajra Technique and had already opened eighty-two qi meridians; all eighty-two of these meridians were compatible with the Huanri Technique.

Therefore, breaking through to the first level of the Zhuqi Realm with the peerless Huanri Technique was as natural as water flowing into a channel, without the slightest obstruction.

Reaching the Zhuqi Realm with the Huanri Technique granted two major characteristics.

The first was the simulation of true qi.

The second was disguise.

The disguise here was not a simple matter of a human-skin mask or makeup; rather, it involved circulating the Huanri true qi to control the subtle changes in facial muscles and bones, thereby altering one's appearance.

"Let's test the effect!"

Chen Xuan walked to the bronze mirror in his bedroom and circulated his Huanri true qi to adjust the muscles and bones of his face.

First, he changed the height of his brow ridges, then the prominence of his nose bridge, followed by the shape of his jaw and the protrusion of his cheekbones...

Every change was extremely subtle, but when accumulated, they could turn him into an entirely different person.

The face in the bronze mirror changed slowly, transforming from a seventeen-year-old youth into a man in his thirties.

It did not take long.

A completely unfamiliar face appeared in the mirror.

A square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and looking like an ordinary man of the jianghu in his thirties.

"Wonderful!"

Chen Xuan looked at the strange face in the mirror and could not help but exclaim in admiration.

This was far more brilliant than any human-skin mask, because this was not a disguise, but a genuine change.

No one would be able to spot a flaw; even if someone were to touch his bones, it would be useless, because this was his actual face.

Chen Xuan had only just cultivated the Huanri Technique to the first level of the Zhuqi Realm; for now, he could only change his aura and facial appearance. As his cultivation continued to improve, he would be able to change his height and weight at will.

When that time came, he would truly possess a thousand faces.

Once the Huanri Technique reached great success, no one would be able to track him.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, another three days went by.

Chen Xuan used the Zhaoxi Value he had gained over these three days to accelerate his practice of the Vajra Technique. All one hundred and eight qi meridians were fully opened, his cultivation broke through to the third level of the Zhuqi Realm, and he had also opened four acupoints.

The fourth to sixth levels of the Zhuqi Realm were known as the Tongqiao stage.

Beyond the three hundred and sixty qi meridians, the human body also contained three hundred and sixty acupoints, which were extremely hidden and unreachable by qi.

Only through martial arts techniques could a martial artist lock onto these acupoints and clear them, allowing them to be filled with true qi. Over time, this would lead to a complete transformation of the body.

The Tongqiao stage was the same as the Pimai stage.

With ordinary techniques, the fourth level of the Zhuqi Realm could only open twelve acupoints, the fifth level twenty-four, and the sixth level thirty-six.

However, with top-tier techniques, one could open thirty-six acupoints at just the fourth level of the Zhuqi Realm.

Currently, Chen Xuan had opened four acupoints; he only needed to open thirty-two more for his cultivation to break through to the fourth level of the Zhuqi Realm.

Days passed one by one.

In the blink of an eye, it was May 3rd.

At dusk, as the sun set.

Chen Xuan used the Zhaoxi Value he had obtained to accelerate his practice of the Vajra Technique, opening another ten acupoints for a total of seventy-four.

His cultivation broke through from the fourth level of the Zhuqi Realm to the fifth level.

At this moment.

Outside Baishui Town, on the main road.

A black steed galloped over, its hooves kicking up clouds of dust.

Sitting on the horse was a youth of twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a blood-colored robe with the inner disciple mark of the Blood Fiend Devil Sect embroidered on the cuffs. A curved blade hung at his waist, its scabbard carved with sinister blood-red patterns.

This person, the inner disciple of the Blood Fiend Devil Sect, was none other than Liu Feng.

"Whoa—"

Liu Feng pulled on the reins, causing the black steed to rear up on its hind legs, and came to a stop at the entrance of Baishui Town.

He vaulted off the horse, tied it to a crooked tree at the town entrance, and swept his gaze over Baishui Town with a cold sneer on his lips.

"Chen Xuan, today is the day you die."

Liu Feng muttered to himself and strode into the town.

He did not hide his aura, even deliberately releasing the pressure of the third level of the Zhuqi Realm.

Wherever he passed, pedestrians on the road scrambled to avoid him, their faces pale, not daring to even draw a full breath.

"Who is this person? Such a powerful aura."

"An inner disciple of the Blood Fiend Devil Sect, why would he come to Baishui Town?"

"Looking at this posture, I fear he's here to settle a score."

"Hurry, let's go, don't bring trouble upon ourselves."

The pedestrians on the road scattered like birds and beasts, and in the blink of an eye, more than half the street was empty.

Liu Feng strode toward the branch headquarters of the Red Sun Gang.

"Halt, who goes there!"

In front of the branch gate, two guards stepped forward to block Liu Feng.

"Get lost!"

Liu Feng didn't even glance at the two guards, simply raising his hand and waving it.

A surge of blood-colored true qi erupted from his palm, transforming into a crimson hand that swatted the two guards away.

"Pfft—"

The two guards at the gate spat blood simultaneously, flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ground, dying on the spot.

Their chests were caved in, and blood gushed from their seven orifices, a miserable sight of death.

Liu Feng stepped over the threshold and entered the outer courtyard of the branch.