Exemption Bead-Let Me See Your True Strength!

The next morning, Chen Jing woke Chen Sanwu. After a quick bite to eat, father and son headed to the Carriage Firm side by side.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw a crowd of coachmen waiting there. Old Man Lin had notified them in advance at Chen Jing's instruction.

Chen Jing strode up the steps and slowly surveyed the people below.

Under Chen Jing's gaze, the crowd, which had been chattering moments before, fell silent at once.

Seeing this, Chen Jing began, "Starting today, the Carriage Firm will have three new rules. First, everyone's wages will be raised by twenty percent and paid in full each month. No one may withhold or skim anyone's pay. The more you work, the more you earn. Second, we'll implement a rotating shift system. Everyone must do their part; no slacking or shirking. Third, anyone found colluding with outsiders and harming the firm's interests will be expelled from the Carriage Firm immediately and never hired again!"

The moment he finished speaking, the coachmen erupted in an uproar, then burst into thunderous cheers. They looked at Chen Jing with eyes full of gratitude.

Whether or not the twenty-percent raise was real, just paying them in full each month was already far better than Wang Chi had ever been!

In the past, Wang Chi had always found one excuse or another to dock their wages. After a month's work, the coachmen were lucky if they took home even thirty percent.

Chen Jing raised a hand to quiet them. Once they had settled down, he called Old Man Lin over and gave his instructions in front of everyone. "From now on, my father, Chen Sanwu, and Old Man Lin will manage the Carriage Firm together for the time being. The accounts must be checked every day and kept in two copies. Report any major matters to me right away."

Old Man Lin hurriedly bowed and agreed. Chen Sanwu stood up straight too, his face brimming with pride.

Once he had taken care of everything at the Carriage Firm, Chen Jing wasted no time. He turned and headed for the River-Breaking Fist Academy.

With Chen Sanwu and Old Man Lin overseeing the Carriage Firm, there shouldn't be any trouble for now.

As soon as he entered the academy, Chen Jing went straight to the Central Courtyard. He cast aside all distractions, settled his mind, and began practicing the River-Breaking Fist.

His fists whistled through the air, his hands and feet striking it with a rush of wind. His blood and qi flowed steadily through his meridians, and each move grew more practiced and precise.

After an unknown amount of time, a figure quietly appeared at the edge of the Central Courtyard. It was Fei Feng.

Fei Feng stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on Chen Jing's movements. His brows gradually drew together into a deep frown, and his expression grew more and more grave.

This kid was an oddity before. In just one month, he went all the way from the Blood Creek Realm to the Blood River Realm. His progress was astonishingly fast. So why has he slowed down after breaking through to Second Blood?

Fei Feng wondered to himself, his eyes full of confusion. His blood and qi are condensing far more slowly than I expected... Could he have exhausted all his potential and already reached his limit?

Fei Feng watched Chen Jing for a long while, carefully observing the flow of his blood and qi and the rhythm of his punches, but he couldn't find the cause.

In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly, turn his gaze away from Chen Jing, and fix it on Xiang Lingfei, who stood farther off.

Ever since Chen Jing had overtaken him, Xiang Lingfei had been deeply shaken. Lately, he had practically been risking his life in his bitter cultivation.

Every day, he would rush into the Martial Arts Arena before dawn and refuse to leave until late at night. He ate and drank almost entirely at the academy, devoting himself wholeheartedly to practicing his fists.

Such extreme diligence had brought visible progress. Xiang Lingfei's blood and qi had grown increasingly condensed and robust, and he seemed to have touched the bottleneck of Second Blood. At this rate, he would be ready to attempt a breakthrough in just a few days.

Just then, Chen Jing finished his set and came to a stop. As he regulated his breathing, a hearty voice rang out from behind him. "Junior Brother Chen, what a fierce set of River-Breaking Fist!"

Chen Jing turned around. Zhuang Tao strode toward him, a keen, eager smile on his face. "You hadn't broken through to Second Blood last time, so when we sparred, I had to hold back. It never felt like enough."

"Now you're a Blood River Realm martial artist too. Let's have a proper spar today. I won't go easy on you this time!"

Over the past three months, Chen Jing had killed quite a few people, but most of them had been ordinary folk and First Blood Martial Artists. He had been wanting to test himself against someone of the same level and see what he could really do.

Since Zhuang Tao had offered, Chen Jing nodded at once and cupped his hands. "That's exactly what I had in mind. Senior Brother Zhuang, please show me what you've got!"

The two walked to the center of the courtyard. The disciples practicing nearby saw them and gathered around, stopping to watch with curiosity.

After they exchanged fist salutes, the spar began.

Zhuang Tao had broken through to Second Blood over a year ago, and his martial experience was seasoned. His blood and qi were deep and powerful. The moment he attacked, his punches came with a fierce, domineering force, fists wrapped in howling gusts of wind as each blow went straight for Chen Jing's vital points. His assault surged like a tide.

Chen Jing, meanwhile, had long since mastered the River-Breaking Fist. His steps were as steady as an ancient pine rooted in the earth, and his attacks were crisp and direct, without a trace of unnecessary flourish. Every move aimed precisely at Zhuang Tao's weaknesses.

At first, Chen Jing handled the attacks with ease, trading blows with Zhuang Tao and holding his own.

But as time passed, Zhuang Tao's attacks grew fiercer. He drove his blood and qi to the limit, his fists crashing down in overlapping waves like a storm-tossed sea, giving Chen Jing no chance to catch his breath.

Chen Jing focused all his attention on defending, but during one block, his blood and qi circulated a little too slowly, and he exposed a tiny opening.

Zhuang Tao's eyes sharpened. He seized the opportunity at once, pushed off hard with his feet, and darted forward like an arrow. His fist shot straight toward Chen Jing's throat.

Just as the tip of his fist was about to touch Chen Jing's skin, Zhuang Tao abruptly checked his strength. His fist stopped a mere half-inch from Chen Jing's throat, not moving a hair farther.

"You were generous."

Zhuang Tao slowly drew his fist back, a smile on his face and a note of approval in his voice.

Chen Jing let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and cupped his hands to Zhuang Tao. "Senior Brother, your skill is still superior."

"Now you're just being formal."

Zhuang Tao waved a hand and said sincerely, "I've simply had more time since breaking through to Second Blood, so I have a little more experience than you."

"But when it comes to the agility and practicality of your fist techniques, you have far more talent than I do. Those quick punches of yours kept striking in the gaps between my attacks, and your timing was precise. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I'd have been defeated already."

Zhuang Tao wasn't flattering him.

During their spar, Zhuang Tao had keenly sensed how tricky and practical Chen Jing's style was. There wasn't a trace of wasted motion; every strike aimed at the most direct way to defeat his opponent and carried immense killing power.

If Zhuang Tao hadn't spent more than a year immersed in Second Blood, with greater reserves of blood and qi and more combat experience, he might not have been able to keep Chen Jing firmly at bay.

Chen Jing smiled but didn't reply.

After Zhuang Tao went to sit on a stone bench and rest, he picked up a water flask and took a drink. Chen Jing suddenly recalled what the Ghost Market stall owner had said the night before. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over.

"Senior Brother Zhuang."

Chen Jing sat on the stone bench beside Zhuang Tao and casually said, "I went to the Ghost Market last night."

Zhuang Tao glanced up at him and raised a brow, asking with interest, "Oh? Were you looking for pills or choosing a cultivation manual?"

"Yeah."

Chen Jing sighed softly, putting on a helpless expression. His voice carried a hint of frustration. "I know my talent is only average. I've been practicing the River-Breaking Fist all this time, but lately I feel like the road ahead is getting narrower and narrower. It's hard to make any more progress."

"So I thought I'd try my luck at the Ghost Market and see if I could find some better pills or a cultivation manual to help improve my strength."

Then Chen Jing shifted the conversation naturally and asked at just the right moment, "A stall owner told me there's a little house at the Ghost Market that only admits martial artists who've reached First Blood or higher. The stuff inside is a hundred times better than what they sell at the stalls outside."

"I think I saw you go in there last time, Senior Brother, so I wanted to ask if there's anything I should watch out for. If I go again, I'd like to be prepared."

Hearing this, Zhuang Tao waved a hand dismissively. "That house? There's nothing to watch out for. The only catch is that the threshold is a bit high. You have to be at least First Blood to get in."

"They really do sell good stuff inside. The cultivation manuals and pills are far better than those incomplete, low-quality wares outside. It's worth a visit."

"Next time I go to the Ghost Market, I'll take you along. I was planning to look for a few things myself."

After speaking, Zhuang Tao's gaze returned to Chen Jing. A trace of meaning flashed quickly in his eyes, and he reached out to pat Chen Jing's shoulder.

Chen Jing was delighted and hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks. "Then I'm much obliged, Senior Brother Zhuang."

The two chatted a little longer about the small details of cultivation, then got up and returned to the Martial Arts Arena to continue practicing.

For the next three days, Chen Jing kept to an extremely regular routine.

Every morning, he went to the Fist Academy to practice. In the evenings, he returned home and ate mouthful after mouthful of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat to nourish his blood and qi.

By coincidence, seeing that Chen Jing's cultivation progress had been slow, Fei Feng had given him the pound of Spotted Flower Fox meat that was his share ahead of time.

The Spotted Flower Fox was also an exotic beast, but the blood and qi contained in its meat were far richer and purer than those in Green-skinned Horned Pig meat.

Thanks to the nourishment from both the Green-skinned Horned Pig meat and the Spotted Flower Fox meat, it took just three days for the Exemption Bead in Chen Jing's mind to gather all the remaining energy it needed!

That night, Chen Jing returned home and carefully checked the doors and windows. Only after confirming they were securely shut did he go back to his room.

He lit the oil lamp on the table and picked up the Bone-Humming Swift-Travel Technique. By the wavering, dim flame, he pored over the formulas, methods for circulating his energy, and footwork instructions, reciting them over and over in his mind.

He ran his fingertips over the pages until he knew every word and every detail by heart, then carefully put the booklet away.

Chen Jing took a deep breath and stepped out of his room. He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and slowly circulated his blood and qi according to the method recorded in the Bone-Humming Swift-Travel Technique.

The instant he activated the technique, a stabbing pain shot through the bones in his legs, as though countless sharp steel needles were madly boring into his marrow.

Then, an invisible, crushing pressure abruptly settled over his bones, as if it meant to split and grind the bones in his legs to pieces!

The searing pain swept through his entire body. Fine beads of cold sweat sprang across Chen Jing's forehead, and sweat soaked the back of his clothes until they clung tightly to his skin.

Yet his gaze remained unwavering. He clenched his teeth, endured the agony, and silently repeated to himself:

Exemption Bead, let me see your true strength!

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, a gentle, soothing force suddenly flowed out from the depths of his mind. Like a clear mountain spring, it slowly spread until it completely enveloped his legs.

The next moment, the unbearable pain receded like a tide, and the ache in his leg bones vanished without a trace. Even the invisible crushing pressure seemed never to have existed.

Feeling the lightness and ease in his legs, Chen Jing hesitated no longer. He immediately circulated the Bone-Humming Swift-Travel Technique to its full extent.

His blood and qi surged like a rushing stream, following the technique's pathways as they poured into his legs. A faint, fine humming seemed to rise from deep within his bones, as though countless joints were resonating together.

The next moment, Chen Jing clearly felt explosive power filling his legs, while an indescribable lightness enveloped his entire body.

At a thought, he stamped down hard. He shot out like an arrow loosed from its bow, raising a howling gust of wind as his figure streaked across the cramped courtyard.

When he finally stopped, Chen Jing felt his speed, far beyond what it had been before, and the smile at the corners of his mouth grew broader.

He had mastered the Bone-Humming Swift-Travel Technique!

From now on, all he had to do was practice diligently every day, hone his movement technique until it was even more polished, and wait for the right moment to break through to the next level.