Breakthrough, Second Blood Transformation [Seeking Follow-up Reads]

Situ Yiyun didn't take Lu Jing'an's words to heart.

For several days in a row, Lu Jing'an had offered the same reminders.

Situ Yiyun had long since grown accustomed to it.

Lu Jing'an could see that Situ Yiyun wasn't paying much attention.

Lu Jing'an was in no rush.

It was enough that he had provided the warning.

If he truly lost later, the system wouldn't be able to find any fault with him.

After Lu Jing'an stood his ground, his opening stance remained Oriole Probes the Crop.

Situ Yiyun responded in a formulaic manner.

But this time, the moment Lu Jing'an's palm made contact with Situ Yiyun, it seemed to grow significantly longer out of thin air.

Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, it struck straight and true toward Situ Yiyun's throat.

This sudden change truly gave Situ Yiyun a massive fright.

An unexpected crisis!

Situ Yiyun's hair stood on end; he engaged his core and leaped backward violently.

However, Lu Jing'an's next move, Slap Palm, had already descended with fierce intensity.

This strike was worlds apart from the previous ones!

His arm swung down like a steel whip tearing through the air, producing a crisp, explosive crack.

The speed was more than twice as fast as before!

Had it landed solidly, his skull would likely have shattered, or at the very least, he would have bled from all seven orifices.

Situ Yiyun was horrified.

He had thought he retreated far enough, but the next moment, he realized he was wrong again.

Lu Jing'an's arm truly seemed to have lengthened out of thin air.

The palm slammed precisely toward his head.

Situ Yiyun hurriedly raised his arms to block.

The blow ultimately landed on Situ Yiyun's forearm.

Crack!

His forearm felt as if it had been lashed by an iron whip, burning with intense pain.

Before he could catch his breath, Lu Jing'an's offensive arrived like a torrential downpour.

The essence of Tongbei Fist was being displayed to its fullest potential.

Cold, snapping, crisp, and fast—every move exploited his reach to strike at close quarters.

The air was filled with a continuous series of cracking sounds, like the snapping of whip tips.

Situ Yiyun had lost the initiative from the very first move.

Now, backed into a corner with nowhere left to retreat, he gritted his teeth, his blood and qi on the verge of erupting!

But then, he felt a chill at his throat.

Lu Jing'an's fingertips stopped half an inch from his throat.

The chill was like a needle, stinging his skin with pain.

Situ Yiyun's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed with difficulty, his voice raspy:

"Young Master Lu, I have lost."

This time, he was convinced of his defeat.

[You have successfully defeated Situ Yiyun and obtained the Affix: Combat Supremacy (White)]

Seeing the Affix secured.

Lu Jing'an slowly withdrew his palm.

A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said, "It is all thanks to Master Situ's excellent teaching."

Hearing Lu Jing'an's polite pleasantries, Situ Yiyun only felt a sense of irony and bitterness.

Was his teaching really that good?

What he taught was New Martial Arts.

Yet Lu Jing'an had defeated him using genuine Ancient Martial Arts.

What did this have to do with his own instruction?

Chen Heqing had been standing to the side, stunned.

Only now, hearing their conversation, did he snap back to reality.

"Good, well fought, Young Master Lu!" Chen Heqing clapped his hands and laughed in admiration!

"This is the true power of my Ancient Martial Arts Tongbei Fist!"

"New Martial Arts are nothing but clowns!"

Situ Yiyun did not retort this time.

It was not because he had lost.

It was because Lu Jing'an had truly unleashed the long-buried edge of Ancient Martial Arts.

However, this was not enough to shake Situ Yiyun's inner convictions.

He had watched exactly how Lu Jing'an trained.

Specialized medical cultivators prepared medicinal baths at any time.

The herbs used in these baths were all of the highest quality.

A single tub of these herbs could sustain an ordinary family for ten years.

And Lu Jing'an soaked in such baths three times a day.

He also had himself and Chen Heqing, two seniors of the martial arts world, acting as sparring partners.

Not to mention the guidance from Chen Xuan, a great martial cultivator of unfathomable depth.

Excluding Chen Xuan's expenses, Lu Jing'an spent at least four hundred silver dollars a day.

Of course, Situ Yiyun admitted that Lu Jing'an's talent was astonishingly good.

But Lu Jing'an was not the only one with great talent.

Yet, how many others had training conditions like his?

Lu Jing'an did not care about the dispute between New Martial Arts and Ancient Martial Arts.

As long as the Affix was in his hands, that was enough.

Next, Lu Jing'an tested the power of the [Combat Supremacy] Affix on Chen Heqing.

Under the enhancement of the [Combat Supremacy] Affix.

Lu Jing'an's striking speed and efficiency were significantly improved.

Performing the same set of Tongbei Fist.

Lu Jing'an managed to execute it with the sensation of double speed.

He even cut out many useless feints in the process.

Even when Chen Heqing utilized the strength of his Second Blood Transformation.

He was suppressed by Lu Jing'an from start to finish.

In the end, Chen Heqing had no choice but to concede.

"Young Master Lu's talent is truly rare in this world."

Chen Heqing spoke these words without a shred of insincerity.

He had witnessed with his own eyes how Lu Jing'an progressed by leaps and bounds.

At the same time, he was a personal participant in that growth.

He was the one with the most authority to speak on the matter.

After dinner.

Lu Jing'an still personally escorted the two to the manor gate.

Only this time, Chen Heqing and Situ Yiyun exchanged a glance and bowed in unison:

"Young Master Lu, we have imparted all that we can; we shall not disturb you further starting tomorrow."

Lu Jing'an did not attempt to persuade them to stay.

He merely nodded with a smile and ordered his men to present double the remuneration.

Both Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing knew the score.

If they were to stay any longer.

They feared the day would truly come when they would be beaten into serious injury by Lu Jing'an, losing all face.

Taking their leave now, on the contrary, preserved the dignity of both parties.

After seeing the two off, Lu Jing'an did not go out to beat anyone up that night.

Nor did he head to the pleasure districts.

Today, Lu Jing'an had more important things to do.

A breakthrough!

Following the continuous breakthroughs in Tongbei Fist.

Lu Jing'an was now only a step away from the Second Blood Transformation.

Lu Jing'an had Cui Jieyi prepare a medicinal bath.

This time, Lu Jing'an did not let Cui Jieyi leave.

Instead, she was to stand by at all times; if the medicinal herbs or the potency were insufficient.

Cui Jieyi would need to add more at a moment's notice.

Inside the massive wooden bathtub, Lu Jing'an stood firm in his Standing Stake.

His blood circulated through his body time and time again.

When he reached a critical juncture.

Lu Jing'an clearly felt the resistance in the flow of his blood.

The moment the resistance appeared.

The effect of Extraordinary Physique was triggered.

That barrier was like thin ice meeting boiling water.

It melted away without a sound.

Lu Jing'an's Standing Stake progressed from (Entry) to (Minor Achievement).

Immediately, the medicinal bath in the wooden barrel began to bubble with fine froth.

This was the hallmark of the Second Blood Transformation: Blood Boiling.

The hallmark of the First Blood Transformation was Blood Surge.

The second transformation was Blood Boiling.

Boiling blood could grant Lu Jing'an more true qi and more strength.

After the breakthrough, he immediately called up his Attribute Panel to see the changes in his body.

[Name: Lu Jing'an]
[Attack: 11]
[Defense: 11]
[Agility: 5]
[Spirit: 8]
[Energy Point: 4]
[Technique: Standing Stake (Minor Achievement) (Atk+3+3, Def+3+3, Spirit+3+3), Tongbei Fist (Major Achievement) (Atk+8+10)]
[Affix: Clear as Fire (Green), Extraordinary Physique (Green) (Atk+2, Def+2), Fist Master (Red) (Fist Technique+10), Karma Sound-Tracing (White), Ghost Shadow Lost Track (Orange) (Agility+3), Combat Supremacy (White)]

"My base attributes have each increased by four points, following the breakthrough in my stake technique and the bonuses from my Affixes."

"If I use Tongbei Fist, my total attack power reaches 29 points!"

An attack power of 29 might not seem high.

But it corresponds to an arm strength exceeding a thousand catties.

Lu Jing'an had tried using combat power points to evaluate Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing.

Both Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing were martial cultivators who had passed the Blood Barrier.

According to Lu Jing'an's assessment.

The combat power of both men was around 30.

It was actually about the same as Lu Jing'an's current level.

Of course, once a real fight broke out.

Unless Lu Jing'an could secure a victory within five seconds.

Otherwise, if it dragged on past five seconds, Lu Jing'an would undoubtedly lose.

After all, true combat power isn't just about attack.

There is also defense, spirit, stamina, and combat technique, among other things...

That said.

Lu Jing'an, by virtue of his Second Blood Transformation.

Was already on par in combat power with martial cultivators who had broken through the Blood Barrier.

This was already an extraordinary achievement.

Overall, the harvest today left Lu Jing'an very satisfied.

Not to mention the red Affix, he had also successfully harvested the Affix from Situ Yiyun.

At the same time, his cultivation had reached the Second Blood Transformation.

His strength compared to before was earth-shatteringly different.

This gave Lu Jing'an even more confidence to present the Li Family with a grand gift.

Furthermore, regarding the matter of his own assassination, Lu Jing'an felt it was time for an explanation and a conclusion.

The night deepened, and the moonlight in the courtyard was like a wash, stretching his shadow thin.

Lu Jing'an pushed open the window.

He looked toward a certain place in the city.

A cold and almost imperceptible arc curled at the corner of his mouth.