What Should You Call Me?

Over the next two days, Diao Xiaolin killed a vagrant each day, using their blood to consecrate his sword twice. The drop of Blood Essence in his dantian also climbed to its peak state.

It was nearing noon when Diao Xiaolin summoned Wu Yi and Han Ce, intending to head to the Black Tiger Gang's Everjoy Hall Branch and seek revenge on Lu Hao.

Wu Yi suggested, "Xiaolin, should we wait until night to make our move? Lu Hao lives in the branch. If we launch a night raid, there will be fewer people inside, and our chances of succeeding will be greater."

Diao Xiaolin let out a cold snort.

"The last time I went with those useless Golden Saber Gang fools to ambush Lu Hao, Qiu Shan ended up dying there." Diao Xiaolin glanced at the longsword in his hand.

"Now that I am a Martial Artist, with the two of you helping me and ten escort hands in tow, would I still need to fear one Lu Hao? Leave Lu Hao to me. You two lead the escort hands against the rest of the Black Tiger Gang. If they dare resist, wipe out their entire branch." Diao Xiaolin's expression was chillingly grim.

Seeing this, Wu Yi said no more. Diao Xiaolin immediately led Wu Yi, Han Ce, and ten escort hands straight toward the Black Tiger Gang's Everjoy Hall Branch.

In the distance, the Everjoy Hall Branch came into view. Before even reaching its gates, Diao Xiaolin thundered, "Lu Hao, get out here and die!"

The two gang members standing guard at the entrance spotted Diao Xiaolin's group from afar.

One of them hurriedly turned and went inside to report to Lu Hao. The other remained at the gate, but before he could react, Diao Xiaolin was already before him and drove his sword through his throat. When Diao Xiaolin pulled out the blade, the gang member fell stiffly to the ground.

Inside the branch, Lu Hao was practicing the Black Tiger Golden Saber Method in the training yard.

For the past two days, he had been grinding away relentlessly. Whenever his Blood Essence ran dry, he activated the Equipment Slot to absorb the Qi-Blood within beef.

At this moment, the Blood Essence in his dantian had changed from one drop to three.

[Skill: Black Tiger Golden Saber Blood Essence Formula (Green · Minor Mastery)]

[Progress: 15/500]

[Skill: Black Tiger Hand-Saber Art (Green · Minor Mastery)]

[Progress: 15/500]

[Blood Essence in Body: 27/60]

[Equipment Slot 1: Advanced Black Tiger Golden Blade Art]

[Effect: When the host practices the Black Tiger Golden Saber Blood Essence Formula and meets the conditions for a realm breakthrough, the host may break through automatically, without bottlenecks]

[Durability: 67/100]

[Equipment Slot 2: Great Ring Saber]

[Effect: You handle the Great Ring Saber as easily as a familiar carriage, increasing saber-swinging speed by 20% when using saber arts]

[Durability: 74/100]

Lu Hao had now entered the Mid-Grade Bright Force Martial Artist Realm. His Blood Essence capacity had also risen from thirty units at the low grade to sixty units.

Since the skill from equipping beef had already solidified, Equipment Slot 2 had been freed up.

Lu Hao thought that the Black Tiger Hand-Saber Art was also a saber art. He wondered whether equipping the Great Ring Saber would help with practicing the Hand-Saber Art.

So, he equipped a Great Ring Saber.

Sure enough, after equipping the Great Ring Saber, his attack speed increased by twenty percent when practicing the Black Tiger Hand-Saber Art.

He had just finished a round of the Black Tiger Hand-Saber Art when he heard a furious shout from outside the branch, telling him to get out and die.

Lu Hao withdrew his stance, his brows knitting slightly.

His first thought was that Zhou Zhenbei had come looking for him. He came quickly. I wonder whether my Mid-Grade Bright Force Martial Artist strength is enough to fight Zhou Zhenbei.

Lu Hao did not hesitate and walked straight toward the gates.

When he arrived at the entrance, he recognized the visitor as someone he had fought a few days ago. It was not Zhou Zhenbei.

The moment Diao Xiaolin saw Lu Hao emerge, enemies meeting face-to-face made their eyes burn with hatred. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and a faint crimson vapor radiated from his entire body.

Lu Hao glanced at the gang member lying on the ground, then looked at Diao Xiaolin.

"Who are you?"

"I am Diao Xiaolin of the Mighty Escort Bureau."

"Never heard of you."

Diao Xiaolin's face flushed scarlet. "My mother is Lin Qiniang!"

Lu Hao suddenly understood. Before Lin Qiniang died, she had indeed said that she and Diao Xiada, an escort master from the Mighty Escort Bureau, had a son. He had not expected her words to be true.

Thinking of this, Lu Hao smiled faintly. "Then what should you call me?"

Diao Xiaolin failed to react for a moment and repeated, "What should I call you?"

Once he understood, Diao Xiaolin felt a suffocating tightness in his chest. The whites of his eyes grew even redder, nearly dripping blood.

Lu Hao seemed to recall something and deliberately put on a nostalgic expression. "That huge ass of your mother's truly was enough to make one..."

"Shut up! I'll kill you!!!" Before Lu Hao could finish, Diao Xiaolin roared and drew his sword, thrusting at him.

At that moment, Shi Kang also rushed out with the Everjoy Hall Branch gang members. Seeing this, Wu Yi and Han Ce immediately led the ten escort hands forward. The two sides instantly fell into a bloody melee.

Diao Xiaolin had been certain that, after breaking through to the Martial Artist Realm, he could pierce Lu Hao's throat with one sword strike.

Yet Lu Hao merely shifted his body slightly, and Diao Xiaolin's longsword stabbed into empty air.

Immediately afterward, Lu Hao spun. The three drops of Blood Essence in his dantian exploded at once, all of it flooding into his right arm. His right hand formed a saber, wrapped in a faint crimson force, and slashed at Diao Xiaolin's shoulder blade with astonishing speed.

Diao Xiaolin did not even see how Lu Hao had attacked. He was sent flying more than two zhang away by the blow, crashing heavily to the ground and vomiting two great mouthfuls of blood in succession.

He tried to prop himself up with his hand, only to find the pain in his shoulder blade unbearable.

He stared at Lu Hao in terror. He had thought that, after using the Blood Fiend Sword Art to break through to the Martial Artist Realm, killing Lu Hao would be as easy as crushing an ant. Who could have imagined that he could not even withstand a single move from his opponent?

When he saw Lu Hao walking toward him, a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

Diao Xiaolin shouted, "Wu Yi, Han Ce, attack together!"

Wu Yi and Han Ce had each just killed a Black Tiger Gang member. Hearing Diao Xiaolin's cry, both felt a trace of contempt. Diao Xiaolin was already a Martial Artist, so how could he not even defeat a branch master of the Black Tiger Gang who was only in the Martial Disciple Realm?

Still, neither of them hesitated. Their figures flashed as they charged straight at Lu Hao.

Wu Yi thrust his sword directly at Lu Hao's throat.

Lu Hao dipped low, and the sword tip pierced empty air.

Lu Hao brought the fingers of his right hand together as three drops of Blood Essence surged fiercely into it. With a Black Tiger Throat-Piercer, he stabbed straight at Wu Yi's dantian.

Lu Hao's hand-saber tore through Wu Yi's flesh and sank one finger-joint deep into his abdomen. The force of Blood Essence within Lu Hao's body was released through his vigor and blasted entirely into Wu Yi's body. Wu Yi's internal organs were violently shaken by the released force, and he immediately spat blood.

Lu Hao pulled out his hand, blood dripping from his fingers onto the ground.

Wu Yi's entire body flew backward more than a zhang. By the time he landed, he was already dead.

Han Ce's charging steps came to an abrupt halt. He had known Wu Yi for many years and understood Wu Yi's abilities well.

Yet Wu Yi had died at Lu Hao's hands in a single exchange. Han Ce was even weaker than Wu Yi, so how could he dare continue charging forward?

He froze for an instant, then turned to flee.

How could Lu Hao possibly give him that chance?

Lu Hao stomped hard with both feet and used Black Tiger Pounces on Prey, tackling Han Ce to the ground.

Before Han Ce could struggle, Lu Hao brought the fingers of his right hand together and used Black Tiger Throat-Piercer, stabbing directly into Han Ce's throat. His fingertips pierced Han Ce's throat. Han Ce kicked twice, then went still.

Lu Hao slowly rose, wiped the blood from his fingers on the lapel of his short jacket, and looked at Diao Xiaolin.

Diao Xiaolin's face was deathly pale. Mixed with the faint blood-red vapor around his body, he looked like a malevolent ghost.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Enduring the agonizing pain in his shoulder blade, Diao Xiaolin pulled the porcelain bottle containing the Blood Fiend Pill from his robes.