True Force Takes Shape

Golden Sand Valley, South Slope. On a specially constructed training ground, an unusual battle was underway. The two combatants were Rat Prodigy and Skinny Monkey.

Skinny Monkey moved with nimble footwork, coming and going like the wind as he constantly shifted positions. Rat Prodigy, on the other hand, stood completely still, blocking every one of Skinny Monkey's attacks with nothing more than the swing of its tail.

At the edge of the training ground, Jiang Chen silently watched the scene. Beside him stood Wang Yuan, the current chief steward of Golden Sand Valley.

"Third Boss, instructions have just come from Wooden Fish Island. They want us to send out some men to help them seal off the river."

Glancing at Jiang Chen, Wang Yuan lowered his voice.

Jiang Chen's expression did not change upon hearing this.

The River-Sweeping Bandits had been making major moves recently. Though he was in Golden Sand Valley, Jiang Chen had heard the rumors as well.

"What's the reason? Are they still hunting down the former Third Boss, Zhao Meng?"

Jiang Chen spoke casually, his gaze still fixed on the training ground.

Wang Yuan silently nodded.

Jiang Chen said nothing at the sight.

Over the past few days, the River-Sweeping Bandits had acted again and again. At first, they had been careful to conceal themselves, but now they were practically operating in broad daylight, casting nets and setting checkpoints along the Clear Source River. They had caused quite a stir and even killed many people, a far cry from the River-Sweeping Bandits' usual style.

"It seems Ironman Tu is searching for something, and he's getting anxious."

As his thoughts turned, Jiang Chen guessed at a few things.

As for having found Zhao Meng's trail and hunting down Zhao Meng, the traitor—such words might fool others, but no one knew better than Jiang Chen where Zhao Meng had gone.

Just then, the battle on the training ground finally came to an end.

After several probing exchanges and a few lashes from the tail, Skinny Monkey finally faced reality. He was simply no match for Rat Prodigy. He had originally received martial arts manuals and Blood Spirit Pills from Jiang Chen, greatly advancing his martial skill and successfully stepping into the Second-rate Realm. Just when he was full of ambition and high spirits, Rat Prodigy had effortlessly taught him a lesson.

After Skinny Monkey voluntarily admitted defeat, Rat Prodigy finally gave him a serious look.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak. You've got a little something, but not much. You're an average talent just above the level of trash."

Leaving behind that assessment, Rat Prodigy happily ran toward Jiang Chen.

Skinny Monkey could not help shaking his head. A man was inferior to a rat. Though he could not understand Rat Prodigy's words, he somehow understood that look in its eyes. It was like a master looking at a disciple, a father looking at a son—regret mixed with a sigh.

"Skinny Monkey thanks Third Boss for his kindness in nurturing me."

Suppressing the disappointment in his heart, Skinny Monkey came before Jiang Chen and bowed.

He had never been an outstanding person, not as a child and not after growing up. Precisely because of that, he was better able to accept his own mediocrity. Rat Prodigy's cold water had certainly stung, but he quickly adjusted himself.

Jiang Chen nodded as he looked at Skinny Monkey.

In terms of talent, Skinny Monkey had some, but not much. Fortunately, he was loyal and clear-headed in handling matters. He knew what should be done and what should not. All in all, he was still usable.

"Wooden Fish Island wants us to send some men with them to seal off the river and hunt down Zhao Meng. Take some people and make the trip. Handle the details as you see fit. Just remember one thing: watch more, speak less, do less, and be careful not to get yourself dragged in."

After giving this instruction, Jiang Chen handed the task over to Skinny Monkey.

Though Skinny Monkey had many doubts, he hurriedly bowed and accepted the order. He planned to question Wang Yuan carefully afterward. After all, he knew Zhao Meng had already died in Golden Sand Valley.

After Skinny Monkey and Wang Yuan left, Jiang Chen turned his gaze toward Rat Prodigy.

"Let me see whether you've been slacking off lately."

His expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. Jiang Chen pointed a finger at Rat Prodigy.

In that instant, Rat Prodigy caught the scent of danger.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

It let out a sharp series of cries and immediately used a talisman technique. As spiritual energy rippled, the fur all over its body began to grow wildly, directly weaving itself into a ball that protected it within. This was the Hair Needle Art.

A gleam flashed through Jiang Chen's eyes at the sight. Rat Prodigy had entered the basics of the Hair Needle Art so quickly, showing that it had indeed put effort into its usual cultivation. Once this technique took form, it became like a hedgehog that was hard to bite, with quite decent defensive power.

"Not bad, but still not enough."

As the thought passed through his mind, killing intent merged with his blood and qi, and a streak of scarlet lightning bloomed at Jiang Chen's fingertip.

Buzz! Invisible force burst forth. Rat Prodigy's protective Hair Needle Art was shattered in an instant, and the entire rat was sent flying as if struck by a heavy blow. It landed on the ground and could not get back up for a long while.

Jiang Chen shook his head at the sight of Rat Prodigy, then turned and left. After Jiang Chen departed, Rat Prodigy, which had been playing dead, quietly opened its eyes.

After confirming that no one was around, it climbed up from the ground, shook itself off, and strutted away with its head held high. Though its entire body hurt terribly at that moment, it could not lose its style outside. Right then, all it wanted was to hurry back to its little nest.

Jiang Chen naturally knew all about Rat Prodigy's little tricks, but since it had performed fairly well, he could not be bothered to pursue the matter.

"Previously, I used the Bloodflame Art to ignite my own blood and qi, erupting with greater strength for a short time. It was originally intended for battle, but unexpectedly, it allowed me to find a method of refining True Force."

"After today, I should be able to completely transform my blood and qi and truly step into the realm of a Martial Grandmaster."

Returning to the small courtyard, Jiang Chen swallowed a Wolf King Blood-Coagulating Stone and began another round of cultivation.

The next moment, the blood and qi around his body ignited, and the killing intent in his heart began to run wild. As killing intent and blood and qi continuously collided and fused, wisps of scarlet lightning began to emerge around him. This was True Force, the hallmark of a Martial Grandmaster.

For martial True Force to be born, a martial artist had to use their own Divine Intent to subdue their blood and qi, allowing the two to fuse completely. The difficulty was extraordinarily high, but accordingly, its power far surpassed that of blood and qi alone.

In truth, the earliest martial artists had named this power True Force in order to match it against the True Qi of Qi Refining cultivators. Yet while True Force was tyrannical, it still could not compare to True Qi in subtlety and profundity. The most direct proof was that Martial Grandmasters were inferior to Qi Refining cultivators in every respect.

Under normal circumstances, even in a direct clash, a Martial Grandmaster would not be a match for a Qi Refining cultivator. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators might not possess physiques equal to Martial Grandmasters, but they were never frail. The existence of spells and magical artifacts completely widened the gap between the two sides—and this was only among cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining.

Qi Refining cultivators opened their qi sea and dantian, then used them as a foundation to open one hundred and eight acupoints and store True Qi throughout their bodies. Thirty-six acupoints marked minor accomplishment, seventy-two marked major accomplishment, and one hundred and eight marked perfection. Before a Qi Refining cultivator who had reached minor accomplishment in thirty-six acupoints, a Martial Grandmaster basically had no power to fight back.