Dark Strength

The autumn chill in Yilin County grew more intense with each passing day.

Chen Jianghe had been standing in the Three-Body Stance in his small courtyard for nearly four hours.

In the four months since returning from the escort agency, he had completely immersed himself in grueling training.

He would go to the martial arts hall to practice his fist techniques during the day, then return home at night to brew medicinal baths and practice his stance, repeating the cycle day after day.

He had already used two of the three portions of Bone Tempering Soup.

After the first portion, his stance work had broken through to Great Accomplishment.

After the second, the five forms of the Five Elements Fist rotated at will, and the sound of his muscles and bones resonating when his Bright Strength erupted became increasingly deep and resonant.

Yet, that final layer of the window paper separating him from Dark Strength remained unpierced.

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Inevitable]

[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Great Accomplishment)]

[Progress: 23%]

[Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Minor Accomplishment)]

[Progress: 97%]

[Effect: None]

Chen Jianghe slowly opened his eyes and looked at the grey sky outside the window.

For the past four days, he had felt as though he were being watched from the alleys.

Every time he returned home from the martial arts hall, passing through those familiar lanes, he felt gazes lurking in the shadows.

Those gazes were very subtle; had his stance work not reached Great Accomplishment, granting him senses far beyond the average person, he likely would never have noticed them.

At first, he assumed it was just curious neighbors, but as it happened more often, the situation began to feel wrong.

Chen Jianghe thought of Zhang Mingyuan, who had died by his hand.

That Sun Moon Cult member had roared before he died, "The Deacon is nearby," and "The Cult will never let you rest."

It had been four months.

If the Sun Moon Cult truly wanted to investigate, they might well have found traces of him.

"The trees want to be still, but the wind will not cease..."

A flicker of coldness crossed Chen Jianghe's eyes.

He had intended to train steadily until his progress was maxed out before attempting to break through to Dark Strength.

But as things stood, it seemed some people did not want him to have peace.

Only one last portion of Bone Tempering Soup remained.

Chen Jianghe took the oil-paper parcel from the hidden compartment beneath his bed frame.

"I cannot wait any longer."

If he did not break through to Dark Strength, he would remain at the level of Bright Strength.

If the Sun Moon Cult truly sent an expert in Dark Strength, or if they swarmed him like the bandits at Black Wind Ridge, he might not be able to protect his mother or himself.

Only by breaking through would he have more confidence.

The medicinal soup was brewed, the dregs filtered out, and the liquid poured into a large wooden barrel prepared in advance.

Chen Jianghe stripped off his clothes and stepped into the barrel; the scalding liquid wrapped around him, and the stinging pain came in waves.

He took a deep breath and assumed the Three-Body Stance within the barrel.

His breathing gradually slowed, and his blood flow circulated in rhythm with his inhalations and exhalations. The medicinal power seeped through his pores, burning like fire.

It then transformed into thousands of warm, gentle streams, wandering through his meridians and scouring those tiny, subtle vessels that were usually difficult to penetrate.

He did not know how much time had passed, but the medicinal potency began to fade as the water temperature dropped.

Yet, Chen Jianghe felt the heat within his body surging more violently—his blood and energy had accumulated to their peak!

He suddenly opened his eyes and leaped from the barrel, assuming the Three-Body Stance right there in the cold autumn night of the courtyard!

The five forms of the Five Elements Fist linked together, each one faster than the last.

The medicinal power rampaged through his body for about half a quarter of an hour before finally settling, transforming into a vast, warm torrent of blood and energy that returned to his dantian and circulated along his Ren and Du meridians.

The cycle was complete, and his blood and energy were self-generating.

Chen Jianghe exhaled slowly, raised his right hand, and pressed it lightly toward the trunk of an old locust tree three zhang away.

There was no wind and no sound.

Yet, a shallow fist print appeared silently on the tree trunk, its edges smooth and pressed half an inch into the wood, as if it had been slowly "pushed" in by an invisible force.

Dark Strength, achieved.

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Inevitable]

Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Grandmaster)

Progress: 23%

Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Grandmaster)

Progress: 1%

Effect: Internalized power, penetrates the body to shatter meridians.

Chen Jianghe slowly withdrew his stance, sensing the distinct, newfound power surging within him.

The next day, Chen Jianghe pushed open the martial arts school gates and headed home as usual.

His steps were steady, his breathing rhythmic. Only the corner of his eye remained locked onto the two faint, lingering shadows lurking at the end of the alley.

They had come, just as expected. After trailing him for four days, they were finally ready to strike.

Twenty paces, thirty paces... As he rounded the first corner, his peripheral vision swept over a pile of discarded wooden crates to his left.

Someone was there. Their breathing was shallow, their heartbeat suppressed; clearly, they were skilled practitioners.

Chen Jianghe's expression remained unchanged as he continued forward.

Fifty paces.

The second corner came into view. This stretch was narrower than the last, flanked by mottled earthen walls. At the base of the walls lay discarded broken jars and rotting bamboo baskets. The moonlight could not reach here; it was pitch black.

A perfect place for an ambush.

Chen Jianghe's footsteps faltered slightly, as if he had tripped over something, his body stumbling half a step.

In that very instant—two black shadows lunged from the shadows atop the walls like night owls!

Blade light flashed in the darkness, striking directly at Chen Jianghe's back and neck!

Fast, ruthless, and precise—these were lethal killing blows.

Yet, Chen Jianghe seemed to have anticipated this. His stumbling frame twisted abruptly, sliding through the gap between the two blades like a swimming fish. Simultaneously, his right hand pulled a bag of lime powder from his robes and, without looking, he flung it fiercely behind him!

"What is this—ah!"

The screams rang out almost simultaneously.

The lime powder hit them square in the face. Caught off guard, both men in black were blinded instantly. Overcome by searing pain, their blade strikes fell into complete disarray.

Chen Jianghe had already turned, his fists encased in brass knuckles striking out like a viper's tongue!

Five Elements Fist—Crushing Fist!

His left fist slammed into the chest of the man on the left.

The man shuddered violently, his eyes bulging. He opened his mouth to scream, but only spat out a mouthful of foul blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

The Dark Strength penetrated his body, shattering his heart and lungs.

Though the man on the right could not see, he tracked the wind to locate his target, swinging his blade wildly in a horizontal arc to force Chen Jianghe back.

Chen Jianghe did not dodge or retreat. He shifted his right fist from a Crushing Fist to a Drilling Fist, driving it upward like an awl, rotating as it pierced through!

The fist edge slipped through the gap in the blade's arc, striking precisely under the opponent's ribs.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of breaking ribs was clearly audible.

The Dark Strength followed the fracture, drilling inward to destroy the liver and spleen.

The man in black groaned and collapsed limply to the ground, his blade clattering as it fell.

Chen Jianghe stepped forward, his left hand gripping the man's chin while his right hand, fingers held like a blade, sliced precisely along the gap in the tendons on the side of his throat.

Blood surged like a fountain.

The man in black convulsed, his throat emitting a wheezing, rattling sound, his eyes filled with terror and resentment.

He stared fixedly at Chen Jianghe, using his final ounce of strength to hiss out a few words: "You... you have already reached Dark Strength... yet you use such despicable means... to deal with us Bright Strength practitioners... how are you any different from those demonic cultists!"

"Survival is the only truth."

He crouched down and quickly searched the two bodies.

Each man carried five taels of silver and a wooden token of the Sun Moon Cult. The front was carved with a sun and moon motif, the back inscribed with the characters "Cultist," followed by smaller text identifying them as Zhao Si and Qian Qi.

It was indeed the Sun Moon Cult. He pocketed the silver and tossed the tokens into the foul gutter nearby.

Injuries caused by Dark Strength differed from those of Bright Strength; while the surface might only show bruises, the internal organs were already pulverized.

He pulled a small porcelain bottle from his robes—something he had prepared specifically for this.

He doused the two corpses and the surrounding debris with lamp oil, struck a fire starter, and tossed it lightly onto the pile.

"Boom!"

Flames erupted and spread rapidly.

Chen Jianghe retreated to the mouth of the alley, watching as the fire consumed the bodies, obliterating the bloodstains and all traces of the struggle.

Thick smoke billowed, filling the night sky.

In the distance, voices could be heard faintly—"Fire!" "Hurry, put out the fire!"