Breakthrough

Several days passed, and Lin Qing spent his days managing the pharmacy and refining Tendon Strengthening Powder.

At night, he practiced both fist and blade, training tirelessly.

The foundation he had built in the Iron Wire Fist, which he had mastered to a supernatural level, allowed him to control his force far beyond his peers, making his progress with the Wave-Breaking Blade Technique twice as effective with half the effort.

He no longer confined himself to the boundaries between blade and fist techniques, sometimes using the heavy, fierce force of the Iron Wire Fist to drive his blade strikes.

At other times, he infused the sharp, piercing intent of the Wave-Breaking Blade Technique into his fist forms, verifying them against each other and progressing rapidly.

Soon, the deer tendons were fully nourished, and Lin Qing spent several more days refining the Tendon Strengthening Powder.

After the refining was complete, Lin Qing took the Tendon Strengthening Powder on schedule every day to nourish his qi and blood, tempering his tendons, bones, and skin.

Late one night, a blade light suddenly erupted in the backyard, like crashing waves splitting the shore.

The horizontal blade in Lin Qing's hand tore through the night sky, trailing a cold, desolate arc.

Where the blade passed, a faint sound of surging waves could be heard in the air!

He sheathed his blade and stood still, his breath long and steady, his eyes shining with a brilliant light.

[Wave-Breaking Blade Technique (Supernatural)]

[Experience: 1/20000]

At the same time, he could clearly feel that the skin all over his body, especially the membranes on his arms, had become incredibly tough after days of medicinal nourishment and force tempering, glowing with a restrained, bronze luster.

His qi and blood were full, surging and billowing within.

The tempering of his arm membranes was nearing perfection, and his qi and blood had been nurtured to their peak.

Without hesitation, he swallowed another dose of Tendon Strengthening Powder.

He began to practice the Iron Wire Fist repeatedly, striving to push his force to the limit with every punch.

He felt the subtle changes as his qi and blood surged beneath his skin.

Lin Qing practiced until late into the night, then gritted his teeth.

He consumed yet another dose of Tendon Strengthening Powder.

In the courtyard, the iron rings clanged rhythmically.

Perhaps it was the stimulation from that day.

Every time Lin Qing struck, he used all his strength, like a savage beast patrolling the courtyard.

The moment Lin Qing pushed his internal qi and blood to their peak, causing them to rush toward the main tendons of his arms and legs like a bursting river.

"Boom!"

Within his body, his major tendons seemed to emit an invisible, resonant hum!

Those previously tight and sluggish tendons were, at this moment, forcibly stretched open by the overwhelming surge of qi and blood.

An unprecedented sense of fluidity swept through his entire body like a tide.

He instinctively threw a punch without using the iron rings.

Even with a bare fist, the air shattered, producing a clear sonic boom.

His speed and power were far greater than when he was in the Skin Refining Realm.

He had succeeded!

The second stage of martial arts, the Tendon Opening Realm!

Lin Qing slowly retracted his fist, feeling the more condensed qi and blood flowing endlessly within him, a brilliant light erupting in his eyes.

Breaking through the Skin Refining Realm had enhanced his defense and base strength.

But the breakthrough to the Tendon Opening Realm brought a qualitative change in speed, agility, and instantaneous explosive power!

"The Tendon Opening Realm is the limit for most ordinary martial artists."

"Now that I have reached this level, it means that I finally have some guarantee of safety when I walk outside."

Several days passed, and Lin Qing did not publicize the news of his breakthrough.

This day was the day the White Horse Gang collected their protection money.

Lord Leopard led his men, swaggering down Yongning Street, causing the neighbors to fall silent in fear wherever they passed.

When it was Benevolent World Hall's turn, Lin Qing had already prepared three hundred coins and handed them over with a calm expression.

Lord Leopard took the money, weighed it in his hand, and his eyes shifted to Lin Qing, a smile squeezing onto his face: "Young Master Lin, business has been quite booming lately, hasn't it? You must have made a good profit, right?"

Lin Qing sneered inwardly, but his face showed just the right amount of helplessness.

He shook his head and sighed, "Lord Leopard, you jest. With Security Hall across the street driving prices so low, our small business is barely scraping by. How could you call it booming?"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lord Leopard chuckled, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery.

"But why did I hear from Shopkeeper Pan that your Benevolent World Hall is quite famous now, selling more than three times the medicinal herbs that Security Hall does?"

"Can you really call that barely scraping by?"

Lin Qing narrowed his eyes, subconsciously glancing at Security Hall across the street, his expression remaining calm.

He was not afraid of Lord Leopard himself.

He was wary of the White Horse Gang standing behind him.

They were one of the few major powers outside the city.

Furthermore, rumors in the market claimed that this Lord Leopard was the illegitimate son of the White Horse Gang's second-in-command.

Never mind his own Benevolent World Hall.

Even some martial halls in the outer city had to pay protection money to the White Horse Gang, so their strength was self-evident.

Although he had already reached the Second Gate, he still chose to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Lord Leopard, Shopkeeper Pan must have misunderstood. Most of those customers are brothers from the martial hall; they come to support the business out of camaraderie."

"I give them cost price—small profits but quick turnover. I'm really not making much money, just enough to keep the place running."

Lin Qing replied with a series of bitter smiles.

Lord Leopard narrowed his eyes, staring at Lin Qing for a long moment.

He seemed to be looking for a flaw in his expression, but in the end, he saw only calm.

He cursed the kid for being cunning in his heart.

Yet, he couldn't say much more, as the reputation of Hong Family Martial Hall still carried some weight.

He snorted coldly, "It better be that way. If I find out you're making dirty money and refusing to play ball, you know the consequences."

After dropping that toothless threat, Lord Leopard led his men, swaggering toward the next shop, collecting protection money door to door.

Soon, they arrived at Old Fan's carpentry shop.

Old Fan's family was sensible enough to pay two months of protection money at once.

But when added to the three months of arrears from before, With interest rolled in, they still owed another twelve hundred wen.

The result was predictable.

"Three months, three whole months without paying in full. Do you really think I'm running a charity?"

Ferocity surged across Lord Leopard's face as his gang members swarmed forward, punching and kicking Old Fan.

Old Fan's son, Fan Kui, seeing his father beaten until he coughed up blood, felt his eyes split with rage. He roared and tried to rush forward, but was pinned firmly to the ground by two burly men, blows raining down on his back and head.

"Little bastard, you dare to resist?"

In his irritation, Lord Leopard snatched up an arm-thick wooden club and personally lashed out at Old Fan's spine and leg bones!

"Crack!"

The wooden club snapped on impact!

Old Fan let out a miserable shriek and collapsed to the ground, the blood spilling from his mouth staining his tattered clothes red.

He was breathing shallowly, clearly on the verge of death.

"Dad!"

Fan Kui let out a desperate, low growl, but he was held down tight, struggling in vain.

Lord Leopard seemed to have vented his anger; he threw the broken club to the ground and spat, "Bad luck! Let's go!"

The men from the White Horse Gang strode away, leaving a scene of utter devastation behind.

Old Fan's wife held the dying man and wept bitterly, a sight the other neighbors could not bear to watch.

Fan Kui, his face covered in blood, sat on the ground in silence.

Lin Qing understood in his heart.

Because Fan Kui had offended his son earlier, this Lord Leopard.

Truly wanted to drive Old Fan's family to their deaths.

He watched this scene in silence.

He dared not openly stand up for Old Fan's family.

Without strength or backing, one is like a blade of grass, life and death decided by others.

He sighed inwardly.

Yet, in the end, he still stepped forward.