Breakthrough

Qin Jiu's eyes flickered with a strange light.

At this moment, on the Red Seal, a ferocious beastly shadow slowly emerged.

It confirmed what he had been thinking.

"Young master, we should leave now."

Just then, Wang Yue spoke, pulling his thoughts back.

Qin Jiu nodded slightly.

Holding the gleaming long blade, he stirred the blood and qi within his body, and the bluestone ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded.

His figure shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring.

Vanishing from where he stood.

The night was as dark as ink.

Around them, the sounds of collapsing houses and screams mingled with eerie roars, tearing through the night sky.

Wang Yue's face was grim and murderous as he kept close to Qin Jiu's side.

Along the way, demonic fiends struck repeatedly.

But each time, Wang Yue struck first and put them down.

Only after they entered the Inner City

did the chaos slowly subside.

"Tonight, who knows how many will die in the Outer City."

Qin Jiu returned to the Qin Mansion safely, but the grave expression on his face did not fade. His keen senses, even without stopping to look, told him that the South Ward of the Outer City had likely already become a hellscape.

Wang Yue heard this and sighed. "The demons are besieging the city."

"Tragedies like tonight will surely happen again. Even the Inner City is far from safe."

"This is only to be expected."

Qin Jiu nodded silently, then added, "How are you feeling now, Elder? I'd like to practice a bit more..."

"I'm afraid that will disappoint you, young master."

Wang Yue gave a bitter smile and said, "This old servant's aged body had already overexerted its essence, qi, and spirit during the day. On top of that, I've been on high alert just now. I'm utterly spent, body and mind."

Hearing this, Qin Jiu was momentarily speechless.

He himself was young and vigorous, and had completely overlooked this point. If he kept pushing Wang Yue to drive the blade momentum, it would be like draining an old man dry. If something went wrong, the trouble would be immense.

"Then you should go back and rest, Elder."

"This old servant takes his leave."

After Wang Yue left, Qin Jiu returned to the courtyard alone and slowly began his Stance Training.

Without the boost of blade momentum, his Stance Training progressed slowly. But his main goal tonight wasn't to train—it was to try guiding his blood and qi into a cycle, thereby stepping into the Second Refining realm.

This would not only vastly increase his strength in a short time, but also allow him to bear more talent imprints.

"According to the Blade Technique Manual..."

"Blood and qi cycles are divided into minor and major cycles."

"Lower-tier martial arts all use minor cycles, centering on the dantian to circulate blood and qi through the limbs. But the Tyrant Blade's guiding method is a major cycle, allowing blood and qi to form a perfect circuit through the body, limbs, and head."

Qin Jiu's eyes gleamed.

The manual recorded that this cycle-guiding method was comparable to top-tier martial arts.

Its only flaw was that the blade technique was too harsh.

Practitioners who damaged their internal organs often met with poor ends.

"But that's for others..."

Qin Jiu took a deep breath.

Withered Wood Meets Spring activated instantly.

His breathing changed, and wisps of mist immediately rose from his mouth and nose. At the same time, the sound of blood and qi surging rang clearly through the East Wing courtyard.

Day and night turned.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning at the start of the Chen hour, Qin Jiu's bare upper body, shoulders, neck, and even his head were covered in veins bulging like coiling dragons. White arrows of breath shot from his mouth and nose, and the sound of blood and qi churning within him rang out like waves crashing against the shore, lingering long without ceasing.

No servants were present in the courtyard at this time.

Only Wang Yue stood there, hunched over, stroking the goatee on his chin with one hand while watching Qin Jiu's figure with tense focus.

At a certain moment.

"Pop."

A sound like a bubble bursting rang out.

Wang Yue's hand, clutching his beard, yanked down a clump of gray-white hairs without him seeming to feel any pain. His murky eyes nearly burst with a startling sharp light.

"In just a few days, a grand circulation of blood and qi..."

His voice trembled slightly.

The hand gripping his beard shook uncontrollably.

Wang Yue even suspected that his end might be near, that he was seeing things—such a speed in building a blood and qi circulation simply could not exist in this world.

Ordinary martial artists, regardless of what martial art they cultivated, when building a blood and qi circulation, always did so with utmost care and solemnity, terrified of accidentally colliding with their meridians or some other part, causing a qi deviation or even sudden death on the spot.

Let alone using the circulation method of the Tyrant Blade, which should be handled with extreme caution.

Yet Qin Jiu had built it into form with a nearly brutal method of moving blood and qi.

If Wang Yue had only learned of this today, he would have done everything to stop it.

But now...

"Finally done."

Qin Jiu opened his mouth and spat out an arrow of breath, which traveled nearly three feet from his body before slowly dissipating.

"Now that I have a grand circulation of blood and qi, once I forge my bones and generate inner force, I'll be a solid Second Refining martial artist."

"And forging bones to generate force is far less difficult than building a blood and qi circulation."

Feeling his strength surge once more, Qin Jiu nodded with satisfaction.

These three days, under the protection of Withered Wood Meets Spring, he had moved his blood and qi in a nearly self-destructive manner, finally building a grand circulation in a short time. The subsequent forging of bones to generate force was actually the easiest part.

Because, in the end, it was just tempering the bones.

And with Withered Wood Meets Spring, the speed would only be faster, not slower, than building the blood and qi circulation.

"Young Master..."

Wang Yue walked over.

Hearing this, Qin Jiu cut him off, saying, "About today's matter, Uncle Wang, don't ask, and don't spread it."

"This old servant understands."

"This old servant came this morning because there is something to report."

Wang Yue's thoughts had already calmed.

As the old steward of the Qin Mansion, his shock was mixed only with joy for Qin Guihong.

He had no intention of pressing further.

"Report?"

Qin Jiu asked in surprise, "Report what?"

"Three days ago, demons attacked the Outer City, and the Demon Suppression Bureau struck swiftly to suppress them, but that night, many martial artists who had just been transferred to the Bureau died. Rumors are spreading in the city that the Bureau will soon draw more personnel from the various families to fill the gaps."

Wang Yue paused slightly as he spoke.

"Then last night, the two guest retainers on the payroll left the Qin family overnight. I went to check the small courtyard where they lived—everything inside had been packed up clean."

Hearing this, Qin Jiu's expression gradually darkened.

And Wang Yue continued speaking.

"There's one more thing."

"Qin Jingzheng, Jingxin, and Jingming just came wanting to see you at the East Wing, but I sent them to wait in the reception hall. As you see..."

"Them?"

Seeking an audience at this critical moment...

Qin Jiu's brows furrowed tightly.

He immediately brought Wang Yue into the reception hall.

"Three uncles, what business do you have with me?"

Qin Jiu sat in the host seat of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the three figures without a ripple of emotion.

These three men possessed extraordinary auras.

All were Three Refinements martial artists in their prime.

They met Qin Jiu's eyes, their own filled with a variety of complex expressions.

One of them rose and made a bow, saying, "Jingxin wishes to take his wife, children, and elders and leave the Qin Mansion. I ask the family head for permission."

As he moved, the other two also spoke up in turn.

"Jingming is advanced in years and also wishes to leave the Qin Mansion to retire in comfort..."

"Jingzheng..."