Major News of the Jianghu, Blood Qi Wolf Smoke

Several hours later.

Dawn had only just begun to break when Zhou Qing passed through a small town called Qiuye Town.

After traveling so long, he was beginning to feel hungry.

Though Second-rate Martial Artists were powerful, they had not reached the point of living without food. Internal energy could stave off hunger for a long time, and going two or three days without eating would not starve one to death, but it was still necessary to keep one's strength fully replenished.

Thus, Zhou Qing entered Qiuye Town.

Some peddlers had only just set out their stalls.

Along both sides of the town streets, breakfast shops had already begun bustling with activity.

Zhou Qing bought a bamboo hat from a roadside stall and put it on, then entered an inn, intending to eat something and restore his strength.

It was breakfast time.

There were quite a few guests in the inn's main hall.

Among them were many jianghu folk carrying sabers or wearing swords. Some spoke in low voices, while others laughed loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhou Qing found a seat by the window and sat down. He ordered a steaming bowl of beef noodles, a basket of meat buns, and several side dishes, then listened to the jianghu travelers around him discuss some of the major events that had recently occurred in the martial world.

"Hey, have you heard? Blood Hand Butcher Li Baichuan has returned to the jianghu. A few days ago, he washed Cold Moon Villa in blood. The villa master, Cold Edge Sword Shen Chengping, his entire family, young and old, along with one hundred and seventy retainers—none survived. Only his youngest daughter, Shen Qingyue, who had joined Canghai Sect, escaped the calamity."

A lean, wiry man spoke up.

"This matter has already spread throughout the Wanzhou jianghu. Villa Master Shen was always chivalrous and made friends far and wide. For Old Demon Li to commit such a monstrous massacre, retribution will catch up with him sooner or later!"

"A demon like that will be claimed by Heaven itself."

"Your news is outdated. Shen Qingyue has already issued a reward. Whoever can kill Old Demon Li will receive her family's Profound Ice Heart Method as payment."

"The Profound Ice Heart Method? That is a first-rate Internal Art!"

"Though a first-rate Internal Art is precious, Old Demon Li has been a First-rate Martial Artist for more than ten years. Even Cold Edge Sword Shen Chengping, also a First-rate Martial Artist, was no match for him. Killing Old Demon Li will not be easy."

"To be honest, those strong enough to kill Old Demon Li have no use for a first-rate Internal Art, while those who need a first-rate Internal Art do not have the strength to kill him."

The jianghu travelers all spoke indignantly and sighed.

"By the way, there have been two other major events in the jianghu recently. Do you know about them?" A bearded man took a swig of his drink, then said, "Three days ago, Jade Faced Flying Dragon Nangong Yu killed Heart Devouring Old Monster Mo Xie in Qixia City and successfully rose to eighty-ninth place on the Human Ranking. His name now resounds in all directions."

"What? Nangong Yu made it onto the Human Ranking, and at eighty-ninth place?"

The jianghu travelers around them all sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Absolutely true. This lad has been in the jianghu for barely two and a half years. Just over twenty, he had already broken through to the first-rate realm, and now he has even killed an expert on the Human Ranking."

"Alas, the waves behind the Yangtze drive on those before them. We old bones have spent so many years wandering the jianghu for nothing. At our age, we are still only Third-rate Martial Artists."

In a corner, several white-haired old men exchanged bitter smiles.

"What is the other major event? Tell us."

A jianghu traveler asked.

"Do you remember the major incident that happened three years ago at Vajra Gate, Yuanzhou's super first-rate power?"

The bearded man lowered his voice.

"Three years ago, Vajra Gate?" One jianghu traveler thought for a moment, then said, "I remember that Vajra Gate's old sect master passed away three years ago, and the sect master's son, Luo Xi, succeeded him. But the sect's Grand Elder seized power and tried to depose the new sect master, Luo Xi. The two sides clashed, and Luo Xi was ultimately defeated. Badly wounded, he fled Vajra Gate and vanished without a trace. Could it be that Luo Xi has appeared again?"

"What I heard is that someone has been selling the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique at Anqing Prefecture's Black Market over the past month. This is one of Vajra Gate's true transmission techniques. Only true transmission disciples are qualified to cultivate it."

"Could that person be Luo Xi?"

"Whether it is Luo Xi or not, no one knows. Perhaps Luo Xi died long ago, and this person merely happened to obtain his inheritance. But if Vajra Gate receives word of this, they will certainly send people to investigate."

"Vajra Gate may have suffered a blow to its strength after the old sect master passed away, but it is still a super first-rate power. Its current sect master is also a Xiantian Realm grandmaster."

"..."

At the mention of Vajra Gate, all the jianghu travelers in the inn turned grave. Clearly, they were deeply wary of that colossal force.

"The Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique came from Vajra Gate!"

Hearing the discussions around him, Zhou Qing was startled as well.

He knew that the first-rate martial art he had bought on the Black Market must have had a dubious origin, but he had never expected the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique to have such a background.

A super first-rate power was not something he could contend against now, not even if he became a First-rate Martial Artist.

Therefore, he absolutely could not reveal lightly that he had cultivated the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique.

Before long.

Zhou Qing had eaten and drunk his fill.

The jianghu travelers and merchants were still discussing matters that had happened in the martial world. Zhou Qing even heard some people discussing him.

However, what he had done was insignificant when viewed across the entire jianghu. If not for the court's wanted notice and Zhou Manor's reward of three thousand taels of silver, no one would have discussed it at all.

After eating his fill, Zhou Qing simply rented a room at the inn. He entered it, sat in meditation, cultivated, and restored his internal energy.

After the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique reached the fifth level, his blood qi had become more than four times as vigorous as before. His twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians had also been widened and reinforced. Thus, when he circulated the Spring Return Technique to move his blood qi and convert it into internal energy, the speed had increased severalfold.

He no longer needed to worry about his meridians being unable to withstand it.

His blood qi surged through his body like great waves, washing through the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians, completing one great circulation after another.

About half an hour later.

All the internal energy Zhou Qing had expended was restored.

Name: Zhou Qing

Realm: Acquired Realm Fifth Level (Second-rate Martial Artist)

Martial Arts Mastered: Spring Return Technique / Tenth Level (Traits: enhanced internal energy healing, increased lifespan by half a century, poison resistance increased by 300%, improved innate constitution)

Traceless Blade Technique / Perfected (Traits: blade speed burst 300%, strength burst 200%)

Swallow Dips Water / Perfected (Traits: light as a swallow, Midair Force Borrowing, speed burst 200%)

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique / Fifth Level (Traits: Copper Skin Iron Bones, blood qi enhancement 400%, rebound shock 50%)

Talent: Nine Breaths Assimilation (As long as one breathes and circulates breath for nine breaths, an unfathomable divine power will grant its blessing, automatically refining the power of the heavenly and earthly Great Dao into Dao Source. One Dao Source Point is automatically gained each day. Each point of Dao Source is equivalent to one year of arduous cultivation.)

Dao Source: 1

Zhou Qing opened the status panel.

After midnight, he had gained another Dao Source Point.

Raise the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique!

Zhou Qing silently commanded.

After undergoing one year of arduous cultivation day and night, the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique has broken through from the fifth level to the sixth. Your blood qi has undergone a transformation, becoming Blood Qi Wolf Smoke.

The Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique Zhou Qing cultivated had already reached the peak of the fifth level, so it took only one year of arduous cultivation to break through to the sixth level.

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique / Sixth Level (Traits: Copper Skin Iron Bones, Blood Qi Wolf Smoke, rebound shock 80%)

Buzzz—

Zhou Qing's body shuddered.

He could clearly feel the blood qi within his body becoming incomparably condensed. With a thought, it transformed into crimson smoke that shot skyward and coiled above his head, lending him several more degrees of imposing might.

This was Blood Qi Wolf Smoke.

Only by cultivating body-tempering techniques to a certain realm could one form Blood Qi Wolf Smoke. Its effect was similar to a martial artist's internal energy. Once Blood Qi Wolf Smoke erupted, it could greatly enhance a martial artist's strength, defense, and more.

"Not bad!"

Zhou Qing nodded in satisfaction.

He closed the panel.

He left the inn.

However, just as Zhou Qing stepped out of the inn, he discovered a man in black mystical wolf attire standing not far ahead. The man's aura had locked onto him.

"Eagle Wolf Guard!"

Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed slightly, and his right hand immediately settled on the hilt of his saber.