Double Great Accomplishment, Dark Moon and High Winds (Seeking Follow-ups, Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

"May I ask, is there a room available near Senior Sister Shen?"

Halfway to their quarters, Zhou Yun suddenly asked the maid.

"This... I must consult Third Master Shen's wishes. I ask for your understanding, sir."

The maid hesitated, keeping her head lowered as she spoke.

"That is fine. Just tell Third Master Shen that I will be departing with Senior Sister Shen for Black Stone County early tomorrow morning. I also need to report this escort mission to Master Liang, so I hope he understands."

Zhou Yun pondered for a moment before instructing the maid.

The maid replied respectfully, "Understood. I will send someone to ask the Third Master immediately."

She signaled to another maid, who walked out of the guest wing and returned shortly after with a nod.

"In that case, Master Zhou may stay in the guest room next to Miss Shen. It is somewhat smaller than the main chamber, so I ask for your understanding, Master Zhou."

The maid escorted Zhou Yun to the door of the side room, then pulled at the collar of her robe.

"Would you like me to help you relieve your fatigue, sir?"

"No need."

Zhou Yun raised a hand to refuse, stating flatly, "You may leave. I intend to rest now."

"If you have any needs, sir, you may call for me at any time."

The maid nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Junior Brother Zhou is truly firm of will. That maid looked quite delicate and charming; does she not suit your tastes?"

Shen Qingxue teased. Having grown up in the escort agency, she was accustomed to such things.

"Senior Sister jests. My heart is set only on martial arts."

Zhou Yun smiled faintly and said to Shen Qingxue, "Senior Sister, I will speak plainly: your third uncle may be problematic. If anything happens tonight, knock on my door."

With that, he turned and closed his door, seemingly settling in to rest.

"Third Uncle is problematic?"

Shen Qingxue arched an eyebrow, but she did not take it to heart. After all, if her third uncle had ill intentions, he would have acted the moment they arrived at the branch office.

Why wait until they were settled inside the agency to make a move? That would be far too much trouble.

Even so, she remained cautious, though Zhou Yun's words lingered in her mind.

"Set only on martial arts?"

Shen Qingxue touched her cheek, as if savoring the thought.

Inside the guest room, the space was reasonably spacious.

Zhou Yun moved the table to a corner, stripped off his outer garment, and stood in the center of the room.

He circulated the internal energy within his body. With several hours left until the night watch, he had plenty of time to practice.

Now that he had reached the Bright Strength realm, his physical recovery was much faster, provided he did not overexert himself.

This Third Master Shen is suspicious. I need enough blood energy to break through in a martial art and gain the strength to rival Dark Strength.

Zhou Yun recalled the energy the old woman had projected. The greatest difference between Bright Strength and Dark Strength was the ability to project one's energy externally.

Although his Black Ape Fist could pose a threat to a Dark Strength expert, he would be at a complete disadvantage if the distance were widened.

Only a perfected movement technique could bridge this gap and provide him with a true means of maneuvering.

"A single Blood Coagulation Pill might not be enough, but my training will be tallied at the third watch. The blood energy gained by then will be more than sufficient."

Zhou Yun estimated the time; by the time the night watch tallied his progress, he would have thrown about two thousand punches.

He was guaranteed at least three wisps of blood energy, and perhaps even a higher rating.

As for standing meditation, he had temporarily abandoned it; he needed to devote his full focus to comprehending the Black Ape Movement Technique, using his potent blood energy to seek a breakthrough.

"No time to waste. Let us begin."

Zhou Yun assumed his stance, the essence of the Black Ape Movement Technique flooding his mind as his footwork began to shift.

The sound of air being torn apart echoed through the room, causing the walls to vibrate slightly.

In the next room, Shen Qingxue, having just finished washing up, heard the commotion and sighed.

"Junior Brother Zhou is truly diligent. To begin training immediately after facing a life-or-death crisis—no wonder he was able to reach the Bright Strength realm at such a young age."

Shen Qingxue felt a surge of respect for Zhou Yun; compared to him, the training of those pampered young masters was nothing more than a hollow display.

However, Zhou Yun was unaware of her assessment, having entered a state of self-forgetful training.

He placed his only Blood Coagulation Pill into his mouth. It dissolved instantly, turning into a surge of blood energy that flowed into his dantian before being converted into internal energy.

As the night grew darker, Zhou Yun's understanding of the Black Ape Movement Technique deepened. He began to grasp the difference between movement techniques and other martial arts.

A true movement technique was not merely for attack, defense, or evasion; it was meant to be integrated into daily life, allowing one to move with half the effort of an ordinary person.

Even when trading blows, a master of movement techniques can integrate their characteristics into their own body without needing to consciously exert them.

When movement becomes unpredictable, even a simple, ordinary straight punch can land solidly on an opponent's vital points.

Although its power still depends on one's mastery of fist techniques and their own cultivation realm, it can achieve the most efficient results with the least amount of effort.

"The Black Ape Movement Technique is faster than other techniques in the mountains and forests, but on flat ground, it places more emphasis on the ability to shift and change..."

Zhou Yun integrated these insights, and just as the blood and qi in his body were about to be exhausted, the voice of the night watchman rang out from outside the window.

"The weather is dry, beware of fire."

The third watch had arrived; the daily settlement began.

[Daily Settlement: Punched two thousand times, gained insights into the Black Ape Movement Technique, strength steadily improved, rating: Low-Grade C.]

[Obtained: Three wisps of blood and qi, one page of Black Ape Movement Technique comprehension, can be used to build a martial foundation or achieve sudden enlightenment in martial arts.]

"It's here!"

Zhou Yun did not slack off; instead, he seized this momentum to channel all the blood and qi into his dantian.

After half a night of martial practice, the internal energy in his dantian was already nearly three fingers thick, on the verge of breaking through to the minor completion of Ming Jin.

As the three wisps of blood and qi entered his dantian and the page of Black Ape Movement Technique comprehension merged into his mind, Zhou Yun began to practice once more.

This time, it felt like a sudden enlightenment; Zhou Yun no longer faced any obstacles. His movement left behind afterimages, and if anyone were watching, they would feel as though his shifts were infinite.

At the same time, the internal energy in his dantian gradually increased to three fingers thick, with a faint trend toward reaching four fingers.

"Black Ape Movement Technique at major completion, Ming Jin at minor completion!"

Zhou Yun's breathing gradually steadied. He had not expected to use this opportunity to break through to the minor completion of Ming Jin, though it was within his expectations.

He now possessed two martial arts at major completion and the strength of Ming Jin minor completion; if he faced that old woman again, he might have a chance to kill her!

"No, it is still better to be cautious."

Zhou Yun felt a moment of joy, but he did not let it go to his head. The chasm between Ming Jin and An Jin remained vast, and the ability to project internal energy outward was a natural barrier in itself.

However, by relying on his major completion movement technique to maneuver and the deterrent power of his fist techniques, he could now pose a genuine threat to those at the An Jin level.

"There is still half a wisp of blood and qi left; I should take this time to stabilize my realm."

Zhou Yun sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating that half-wisp of blood and qi to convert it into internal energy and stabilize his joints and meridians.

Not long after he closed his eyes, a faint sound of human voices suddenly reached his ears.

"Someone is talking?"

Zhou Yun's heart skipped a beat. Having two martial arts of the same affinity reach major completion seemed to have brought a certain enhancement to his five senses.

He quietly crept to the window and saw two familiar figures on the corridor below.

These two were none other than Third Master Shen and the old woman who had been hunting them the entire way.

In the old woman's hand, she was carrying none other than the severed head of Shen Yichen!