Manifestation of Blood and Qi!

Fan Qingyang, acting as bait on the sidelines, also noticed the fierce struggle unfolding nearby.

Seeing Sun Bowei pressing his relentless assault against Jiang Feng, the smile on his face blossomed instantly. He stretched his neck and hollered toward the fray.

"Hahaha, Jiang, you really dared to show your face!

What a pity, what a pity. You're going to die here tonight; you won't live to see the day I share a bed with Li Yue!

That little waist of hers, that pretty little face—just thinking about it gets me so excited!!!"

Jiang Feng naturally understood the game Fan Qingyang was playing. It was nothing more than an attempt to use such base, vulgar words to disturb his focus and force him into a mistake.

Yet, as these words fell upon his ears, they didn't stir even the slightest ripple in his mind.

Sun Bowei, however, was distracted by the incessant, lewd chatter, and his originally airtight offensive rhythm faltered for a split second.

Jiang Feng had been waiting for this exact moment. He seized upon several openings in succession, his Ghost-Head Blade carrying a sharp, biting gale as he hacked fiercely at several vital points on Sun Bowei's body.

But as the blade fell, it only shredded a few pieces of clothing, leaving nothing more than faint red marks on the man's skin—it didn't even break the surface.

Feeling the futile force of Jiang Feng's blade, Sun Bowei laughed wantonly.

"Kid, do you think you can bridge the chasm between the sixth and eighth levels of the Blood-Moving Realm with mere brute strength? Hahaha, what arrogance!

Only those who can freely control their own blood and qi have truly stepped onto the path of martial arts. Before that, you're nothing more than an ordinary man with a bit of extra strength.

I could stand here and let you hit me all day, and you still wouldn't be able to break my Golden Armor Body!"

Fan Qingyang, never one to miss an opportunity to pour oil on the fire, continued to shriek at the top of his lungs:

"Jiang, you've been suffering in that Medicine Hall for a long time, haven't you? Were you hoping to break through to the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm, make a splash, and shed your slave status to become a guard?

What a shame, you don't have that kind of fate! You're going to die here today, die as a piece of trash, and carry the name of a thief to your grave. This is the price for crossing me!"

Jiang Feng turned a deaf ear to the noise, though his mind was busy chewing over Sun Bowei's words.

Control over one's own blood and qi... I recall Alchemist Song mentioning something similar.

His gaze swept over Sun Bowei's body repeatedly until he finally caught a clue: a layer of nearly imperceptible, pale red mist constantly covered the surface of the man's skin.

The reason his blades couldn't cut through the man's flesh was precisely because they were being blocked by this very thing.

Is this the ability one masters after the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm? To project blood and qi outward to reinforce the body?

A bold thought suddenly rose in his heart.

He did not strike rashly. Instead, he did his best to parry Sun Bowei's offensive while carefully observing the man's rhythm, patiently searching for a flaw.

Thanks to the dual reinforcement of the mastered Iron Stake Technique and the minor-completion Exquisite Breathing Method, his stamina remained at its peak despite the prolonged battle, showing not a hint of fatigue.

Just then, a bolt of lightning tore across the sky, followed immediately by a scream of extreme terror that pierced through the curtain of rain.

"Ah--!"

The momentum of the blade in Sun Bowei's hand stalled as he diverted most of his attention toward Fan Qingyang. "What is it? Did someone else arrive?"

Fan Qingyang looked terrified, his voice trembling. "I—I didn't see anyone... but just now, something strange seemed to pat me on the back..."

Sun Bowei's eye twitched; he was completely speechless.

He had seen through this piece of trash—the man had no skills other than making noise and jumping at shadows.

In that split second of distraction, Jiang Feng moved.

He poured every ounce of his strength into his movement, reaching his absolute top speed to dodge a swing from Sun Bowei, his figure ghosting behind the man.

Sun Bowei sensed the shift and was momentarily surprised, but a familiar, mocking smirk returned to his face. He didn't even turn his head as he sneered:

"It's useless. Even if I stood here and let you hack at me, you couldn't hurt me in the slightest. Haven't you realized the gap between us yet..."

Before he could finish, his eyes widened, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. A rich, blinding red light was surging from Jiang Feng's body. In the pitch-black, stormy night, the radiance was scorching and oppressive, almost stinging his eyes.

"This... this is the manifestation of blood and qi! He—he isn't at the sixth level of the Blood-Moving Realm? How is this possible!"

His previous judgment was deeply shaken. An absurd thought surged into his mind: could this kid have just broken through to the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm?

But the manifested blood and qi were several times denser than his own, despite his years of immersion at the eighth level. In this life-or-death moment, all self-deception was meaningless.

"Kid! You aren't at the sixth level of the Blood-Moving Realm, you're at the seventh! You've been deliberately misleading me!" Sun Bowei roared hoarsely.

Jiang Feng did not answer.

His gaze was as cold as a blade. With the Exquisite Breathing Method running at full capacity, he poured all the surging blood and qi within him into the Ghost-Head Blade in his hand.

The blade was enveloped in a layer of intense, crimson light, as if a cold flame had ignited in the pouring rain.

Then, he swung the blade and hacked down with all his might.

Sun Bowei tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The thin layer of Golden Armor blood and qi on his body was as fragile as paper before that crimson edge, failing to provide even the slightest resistance.

The blade sheared down from his shoulder. With a teeth-grinding sound of tearing, his entire right arm and a portion of his torso were hacked clean off.

The piercing agony caused the tower-like man to collapse to his knees, his heart-wrenching wails carrying far into the rain.

In the distance, Fan Qingyang was completely stunned. He couldn't imagine how Sun Bowei, who had held the upper hand just a moment ago, had been nearly killed by Jiang Feng in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the figure standing in the downpour, drenched in blood like a demon, he was terrified to the core. Without a word, he turned and ran.

Sun Bowei, lying on the ground, no longer possessed his former arrogance or confidence.

Although the excruciating pain twisted his face into a grotesque mask and his teeth chattered, he desperately squeezed out a smile even uglier than a cry, looking up at Jiang Feng.

"L-little brother, I think there might be a misunderstanding between us. Actually, I find that fat man quite annoying too; I never really wanted to attack you..."

"A misunderstanding?" Jiang Feng sneered, cutting off the clumsy excuse. "I don't see any misunderstanding here. The winner takes all, and the loser accepts his fate. If I had fallen into your hands, I doubt I would have met a good end either."

Before the words faded, a flash of light crossed the air, and he sliced off Sun Bowei's remaining left arm at the root.

"Ah--! Stop! Don't cut anymore!"

Sun Bowei used the last of his breath to scream:

"I... I admit defeat! I'll give you benefits! I have quite a few savings; as long as you spare my life, I'll give you everything I have!"

Hearing this, Jiang Feng seemed to think of something. He stopped his movements and asked in a flat tone, "What is your name?"

A glimmer of hope for survival erupted in Sun Bowei's eyes, and he hurriedly replied:

"My name is Sun Bowei! I'm a well-known hunter in Black Water Town. You can ask anyone about me; I promise I'm not lying to you!"

Jiang Feng nodded and asked again, "Do you have anyone else in your family?"

Sun Bowei froze, not understanding why the other party would ask this at such a time, but he answered honestly:

"N-no, my two younger brothers were both killed by you just now. But don't worry, as long as you spare me, you'll be my benefactor.

I will never seek revenge, and I can even pass on my family's secret techniques to you. You haven't formally studied any martial arts yet, have you?

Don't worry, our Sun Family's techniques will not disappoint you."

Jiang Feng nodded again.

The light in Sun Bowei's eyes grew brighter, his voice trembling with excitement: "Young man, you... you're agreeing to this?"

Jiang Feng slowly shook his head, a very gentle smile appearing on his face:

"You really are stupid. If you're dead, won't all your things be mine anyway?"

Sun Bowei's expression froze instantly.

The next moment, a brilliant arc of light swept past. A large head rolled into the muddy rain, mixing with the blood and water, spinning a few times before coming to a stop.