Rich Harvest and a New Crisis

[Name: Chen Chen]

[Realm: Body Tempering Second Stage]

[Cultivation Method: None]

[Martial Skill: Cloak Axe Technique (Rudimentary)]

[Cultivation Points: 100]

Looking at the glaring "100" Cultivation Points on the system panel, Chen Chen's heart pounded uncontrollably.

One hundred points!

This was practically a windfall!

Killing the four Body Tempering Second Stage guards had yielded a total of 80 points.

Killing the Body Tempering Third Stage Wang Lie had yielded 20 points.

No, that wasn't right.

Chen Chen quickly calmed down, realizing he had miscalculated.

The Cultivation Points provided by Wang Lie himself should have been 40. If the First Layer was 10 points and the Second Stage was 20, then the Third Stage should be 30 or 40. The system prompt of 20 points was likely because Wang Lie had been severely injured, causing his strength to be greatly diminished.

But regardless, a total of 100 Cultivation Points was solid and real!

"Open the Random Martial Skill Treasure Chest!"

Chen Chen suppressed the urge to immediately increase his cultivation and recited silently in his heart.

He was looking forward to this random reward even more.

The Cloak Axe Technique was only a low-grade Yellow Tier skill, yet it had already greatly increased his combat power. What could this system-rewarded chest contain?

[Ding! Opening Random Martial Skill Treasure Chest...]

[Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the High-grade Yellow Tier martial skill -- Seven Shadows Step!]

A stream of light exploded within Chen Chen's mind.

Countless pieces of information regarding movement techniques and footwork poured into the depths of his memory like a sudden enlightenment.

Seven Shadows Step, a High-grade Yellow Tier movement martial skill!

Cultivated to perfection, a single step could manifest seven afterimages, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the fake. Whether used for combat or escape, it was a top-tier technique!

"Good! This is too good!"

Chen Chen was overjoyed.

This was exactly what he needed!

What he lacked most right now was a sophisticated movement technique.

In his previous battles, he had relied mostly on sneak attacks, schemes, and brute force. Once he encountered an opponent of equal or greater strength, his lack of a movement technique would be exposed without a doubt.

And Seven Shadows Step perfectly compensated for this!

"Breakthrough!"

Chen Chen no longer hesitated and sank his consciousness directly into the system.

[Consuming 60 Cultivation Points, beginning breakthrough to Body Tempering Third Stage...]

Boom!

Energy, more violent than any time before, exploded within his body.

If the previous times were like a river flowing into the sea, this time was like a tsunami sweeping across the continent!

His blood surged like thunder!

His bones vibrated like a Dragon's Roar!

Large beads of blood seeped out from the surface of Chen Chen's body again, but this time, he didn't feel much pain; instead, he felt a sense of exhilarating pleasure.

His body was undergoing a qualitative transformation!

After a full half-hour, everything finally returned to calm.

Chen Chen slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint shot out, leaving a shallow mark on the stone wall opposite him.

Body Tempering Third Stage!

He could feel that the blood and energy within his body were several times more refined than before. His strength, speed, and five senses had all experienced an all-around surge.

He even had the feeling that the current him could easily crush the him from before the breakthrough!

[Name: Chen Chen]

[Realm: Body Tempering Third Stage]

[Cultivation Method: None]

[Martial Skill: Cloak Axe Technique (Rudimentary), Seven Shadows Step (Entry Level)]

[Cultivation Points: 40]

Only 40 points left!

"Continue! Break through to the Body Tempering Fourth Stage!"

A flash of madness crossed the eyes of Chen Chen.

He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and raise his strength to an unprecedented height!

[To break through to the Body Tempering Fourth Stage, 80 Cultivation Points are required. Host's Cultivation Points are insufficient.]

The system's prompt was like a basin of cold water poured over his head.

"Still short by 40 points..."

Chen Chen frowned.

It seemed that the higher the realm, the more the Cultivation Points required for a breakthrough would increase exponentially.

Although he felt some regret, he quickly adjusted his mindset.

One must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.

To have leaped from a powerless mortal to a Body Tempering Third Layer martial artist in just two or three days was already a shocking speed.

He cast his gaze toward the corpse of Wang Lie.

This second young master of the Wang Family Mansion should still have quite a few good things on him.

He walked over and, enduring his nausea, began to search the body of Wang Lie.

Soon, he found a money pouch more exquisite than the one belonging to the Mercenary Leader, containing over a dozen gold leaves and some jewelry of considerable value.

Besides that, there was a bottle of medicinal pills.

The porcelain bottle had a label on it—"Qi Replenishing Pill".

This was a good item. A martial artist consumes a massive amount of qi and blood during battle; one Qi Replenishing Pill could rapidly restore a portion of qi and blood at a critical moment, which was equivalent to having an extra life.

Finally, Chen Chen felt a cold jade pendant inside the chest of Wang Lie.

The jade pendant was blood-red throughout, with a ferocious tiger carved onto it. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a strange energy seemed to flow within it.

"Huh?"

Chen Chen held the jade pendant in his hand and could feel that the flow of qi and blood within his body seemed to have accelerated slightly.

"This should be a treasure that assists in cultivation."

Although the effect was weak, it was better than nothing.

Chen Chen tucked it away close to his body.

After finishing all this, he took one last look at the canyon, which resembled a slaughterhouse, and without the slightest hesitation, he turned and left.

The smell of blood here was too strong and would soon attract demonic beasts or even other martial artists.

He had to leave as soon as possible.

He began to execute the Seven Shadows Step he had just mastered.

With one step, his figure instantly became elusive, as if wind were beneath his feet, and his speed was nearly twice as fast as before!

Although he could not yet manifest afterimages, the miraculous effect was already beginning to show.

Chen Chen felt greatly reassured.

With this movement technique, his chances of survival in the Black Wind Mountain Range had increased by a few points.

However, he did not notice that.

Not long after he left.

The Blood Tiger Jade Pendant he had obtained from Wang Lie and tucked away against his skin suddenly had the eyes of the ferocious tiger pattern on its surface quietly light up with an imperceptible red glow, before dimming once again.

At the same time.

A hundred miles away from the Black Wind Mountain Range, in Qingyang City, at the Wang Family Mansion.

Inside a heavily guarded secret chamber.

The Wang family patriarch, Wang Zhan, was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat.

On the table in front of him was a white jade wall the size of a foot, which was being venerated.

Suspended above the jade wall were seven or eight Life Soul Jade Slips of varying sizes, each emitting a faint glow.

These were the "Life Soul Jade Slips" of the core members of the Wang family.

If a person lives, the jade slip shines.

If a person dies, the jade slip shatters!

Suddenly!

"Crack!"

A crisp shattering sound rang out, appearing exceptionally jarring in the silent secret chamber.

Wang Zhan's eyes snapped open, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto the desk.

There, one of the jade slips engraved with the characters "Wang Lie" had split down the middle, its light extinguished completely.

"Lie'er!"

Wang Zhan's body shuddered violently, and a terrifying aura erupted from within him!

The pressure of the Body Tempering Ninth Stage caused the air in the entire secret chamber to solidify!

His eyes turned blood-red as he stared fixedly at the shattered jade slip, his face filled with disbelief and monstrous rage.

"Who! Who on earth would dare to kill my son!"

He stood up abruptly and snatched another intact jade pendant from the desk, which was emitting a blood-red glow.

The style of that pendant was identical to the one Chen Chen had obtained from Wang Lie!

Wang Zhan injected his blood essence into the pendant.

Hum!

The pendant gave a slight tremor, and a blurry map projection appeared on its surface, with a faint red dot slowly moving across it.

"Soul Chasing Jade... Thank goodness Lie'er was carrying the secondary jade."

A grin, twisted to the extreme, appeared on Wang Zhan's face.

"No matter who you are, no matter if you flee to the ends of the earth, I, Wang Zhan, swear that I will skin you, pull your tendons, and grind your bones into dust!"

He put away the pendant and strode out of the secret chamber, his voice echoing like rolling thunder throughout the entire Wang Family Mansion.

"All guards! Elders! Assemble at the council hall immediately!"

A greater storm was quietly brewing.

And Chen Chen, the center of that storm, remained completely unaware of it.

He continued to press forward, heading deeper into the Black Wind Mountain Range.