Peak Dark Force

"Speak."

Xu Qing walked over and rested the iron sword in his hand against the last assassin's neck. His gaze was calm, carrying a trace of indifference toward life. "Who are you? Where do you come from? What are your identities? Why are you trying to kill me?"

"Hahaha..."

"Xu Qing, we'll be waiting for you in hell..."

Pfft!

The next moment.

After laughing wildly, the assassin's face darkened. He spat out a mouthful of black blood. At some unknown moment, he had bitten open the poison sac beneath his tongue and taken poison to end his own life.

"!!!"

Xu Qing looked at the corpse sprawled on the ground and frowned. "Suicide warriors? There aren't many forces in Qingbei Town capable of raising suicide warriors."

"I originally didn't want to keep bothering with this matter, but you people just had to come knocking at my door. You've really pissed me off! Extremely pissed me off!"

"Hoo..."

Xu Qing drew a deep breath, sheathed his iron sword, and left. With a somewhat livid expression, he arrived at Spring Breeze Pavilion. Hu Gongquan and the others saw that Xu Qing was in a foul mood and did not dare provoke him in the slightest; they could only curry favor with him in every way.

In fact.

The moment Xu Qing had taken up his post to oversee Spring Breeze Pavilion, he had clawed back all the kickbacks Hu Gongquan and the others had pocketed over the past year. Deep down, Hu Gongquan and the others surely hated Xu Qing to the bone.

It should be known.

That was a full ten thousand taels of silver.

However.

Xu Qing was an official disciple of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, and also a Bright Force martial artist. No matter how unhappy Hu Gongquan and the others were, they did not dare show him any disrespect.

"What happened? Who made this lord unhappy?"

Hu Gongquan called Lu Xiaoer and the others over to ask.

"I don't know either!"

Lu Xiaoer shook his head.

"Don't know."

Sister Chunlan shook her head.

Wang Dali remained silent.

The scene shifted.

Kaiyuan Tower.

Inside a room on the top floor.

"My lord."

The young man lowered his head and reported, "The authorities have found that the person who killed our corpse ghosts that night was very likely Xu Qing."

"Xu Qing?"

A seductive voice sounded. "Who?"

"He was originally a beggar, but he has some talent. He has now become an official disciple of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. I have already sent three suicide warriors at peak Bright Force to kill him."

The young man said.

"Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."

The seductive voice paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "You've got quite the nerve, sending people to kill an official disciple of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."

"This was my lord's instruction and order. Naturally, I carried out everything as instructed."

The young man lowered his head.

"Is that so?"

A seductive giggle drifted over. "Come to my bed."

Cold sweat broke out across the young man's forehead. "I... I wouldn't dare offend you, my lord..."

The next day.

Morning.

Xu Qing rose early. After resting for a night, his mood had improved considerably. After eating breakfast at Spring Breeze Pavilion, he headed to the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School.

This time.

Xu Qing bought a full thirty jin of Tai Sui Spirit Meat from the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School.

Next.

Xu Qing did not intend to go out carelessly anymore.

His residence.

Inside the room.

"Although I don't know who the mastermind is, nor who wants to kill me, after failing yesterday, they surely won't let the matter rest."

Xu Qing pondered. "I should still focus on improving my strength."

"Eight Extremities Fist."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Xu Qing practiced Eight Extremities Fist. He was not slow; his fist winds roared, and his bearing was extraordinary. Move after move flowed without end, his fist force fierce and powerful, yet he handled it all with effortless ease.

Experience +1

Experience +1

Experience +1

Time flew by.

The experience for Eight Extremities Fist also rose bit by bit.

Meanwhile.

Inside Ye Manor.

In the room of Ye Yi, the Ye family's eldest young master.

"What?"

At this moment.

During the morning.

Ye Yi received word that the three suicide warriors at peak Bright Force whom he had sent out yesterday had all died. Moreover, they had died at the hands of a swordsmanship expert with exceptionally profound sword skills.

"How could this be?"

Ye Yi's expression was extremely ugly. "A swordsmanship expert? How could the suicide warriors I sent out have provoked a swordsmanship expert of unknown origins?"

In fact.

Just a few days ago.

A tremendously powerful swordsmanship expert had indeed appeared on Hongye Street. With his strength alone, he had slain the Black-haired Zombie and three enhanced corpse ghosts.

"Eldest Young Master."

Old Weng, the old steward of Ye Manor, stood before Ye Yi with his head lowered and said, "Master has instructed that you behave yourself over the next few days and stop causing trouble."

"The master of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School is not someone we can afford to provoke. It is fortunate that Xu Qing did not die last night. If he had truly died, and Du Cangying went mad, our Ye family would definitely have to shed a layer of skin."

"Yes."

Ye Yi nodded.

"Also, Third Young Master has already entered the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School and become an official disciple there. So we must not make enemies of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."

Old Weng continued, "This was also Master's instruction."

"Mm."

Ye Yi nodded again.

After that.

Old Weng left.

Noon.

Ye Yi arrived on the top floor of Kaiyuan Tower. This Kaiyuan Tower was a Ye family property, and Ye Yi was the one managing it. He met that lord once more.

"My lord."

Ye Yi lowered his head. "Last night, the three suicide warriors I sent out failed. Not only did they fail to kill Xu Qing, they were instead killed by a swordsmanship expert."

"That swordsmanship expert from Hongye Street?"

That lord's voice rose.

"It's possible."

Ye Yi said, "Also, my father told me not to provoke Xu Qing again. Xu Qing is already an official disciple of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, and he does not wish to offend them."

"I understand."

That lord pondered for a moment, then said, "Go investigate who exactly that swordsmanship expert is."

"Yes."

Ye Yi nodded.

In the blink of an eye.

Dusk arrived.

"Hoo..."

Xu Qing stopped and exhaled a breath of turbid air. Above his head, white steam formed from evaporating sweat, creating quite a striking sight.

Eight Extremities Fist LV6: 165/320.

"Mm."

Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction.

A few minutes later.

After Xu Qing ate dinner—one jin of Tai Sui Spirit Meat—Yu Chen brought Yu Hu to Xu Qing's residence. Xu Qing taught Yu Hu Eight Extremities Fist for an hour.

Seven in the evening.

That was the first watch of the night.

Yu Chen then took Yu Hu home.

Xu Qing returned to his room, picked up the Fine Iron Sword, and began practicing the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking. Sword light ran deep, sword moves flashed swiftly, and he practiced the sword art.

Time flew by.

At around ten in the evening.

Xu Qing stopped practicing swordsmanship. The moves of the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking were exquisite and intricate; it took half an hour to practice them once, so in three hours he could only practice six times.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking Level 1: 7/30.

"Mm."

Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction. After washing up, he put on the Ghost Mask again and lay down on the bed to rest.

The night passed without incident.

Six the next morning.

Xu Qing woke up.

He removed the Ghost Mask.

Ghost Mask LV6: 722/320 (Upgradeable!)

"Not bad."

Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction and took down the Ghost Mask. "Upgrade."

Hum!

The Omni-Codex flashed with fluorescent light.

At the same time.

The Ghost Mask in Xu Qing's hand also flashed with white light.

Whoosh!

The next moment.

Xu Qing once again saw the same scene: a dark and gloomy environment, a mystifying shamaness, animal skin and flesh, all focused on making a mask.

Finally.

The mask was finished.

Upgrade successful.

Ghost Mask LV7: 402/640 (This was a mask made by a shamaness who worshipped ghosts and gods, using animal skin and flesh. It possessed the effects of disguise and altering one's aura. Because she poured out her heart and soul in the making process, investing all her painstaking effort, and even fused it with her heart's blood at the end, it was extremely difficult to see through.)

"Not bad."

Xu Qing nodded.

Next.

Xu Qing continued practicing Eight Extremities Fist during the day and the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking at night. He cultivated two martial arts at once, and wore the Ghost Mask while sleeping.

The first day.

Eight Extremities Fist LV6: 215/320.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking Level 1: 13/30.

Ghost Mask LV7: 882/640.

"Upgrade."

With a thought, Xu Qing upgraded the Ghost Mask once more.

Buzz!

Vaguely—

Xu Qing saw the scene of the Ghost Mask being reforged again. This time, after the Ghost Mask was completed, it gained an eerie ability: in the end, it actually devoured the spirit of the spirit medium.

Ghost Mask LV8:242/1280 (This was a mask made by a spirit medium who worshipped ghosts and gods, using animal skin and flesh. The mask devoured the spirit medium's soul, granting the Ghost Mask eerie sentience. Not only could it disguise one's appearance and alter one's aura, it could also summon the spirit medium's ghost.)

"So it really is different now."

Xu Qing looked at the Ghost Mask in his hand. It had changed; a peculiar, eerie symbol had appeared at the center of its brow.

The next day.

Eight Extremities Fist LV6:265/320.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking Level 1:19/30.

Ghost Mask LV7:722/1280.

The third day.

Eight Extremities Fist LV6:315/320.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking Level 1:25/30.

Ghost Mask LV7:1202/1280.

The fourth day.

Eight Extremities Fist LV6:365/320.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking Level 1:31/30.

Ghost Mask LV7:1682/1280.

The fifth day.

Morning.

Xu Qing woke up.

"Upgrade Eight Extremities Fist."

First—

With a thought, Xu Qing upgraded Eight Extremities Fist. At the very instant of the upgrade, countless little figures seemed to appear before his eyes, endlessly practicing Eight Extremities Fist before all pouring into his mind.

Boom!

Xu Qing's consciousness trembled. He seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within that mysterious space, he continuously practiced Eight Extremities Fist, continuously deducing it, pushing its mysteries to ever deeper and subtler heights.

Before he knew it—

Xu Qing entered a peculiar state.

His mind and spirit were clear and empty.

Eight Extremities Fist LV7:45/640 (This was a profound boxing art that combined combat methods and training methods. Its movements were fierce and forceful, plain and unadorned; its power came swiftly, and its explosive strength was extremely great. It tempered the tendons, bones, and flesh, with force penetrating through the tendons and bones. With Dark Force at great completion, one could reach 'peak Dark Force'.)

Buzz!

Enlightenment poured into his head.

Xu Qing opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. The force throughout his body erupted, penetrating his tendons and bones as he began practicing Eight Extremities Fist inside the room.

Before he knew it—

Xu Qing had already reached peak Dark Force.