First-Rank Major Accomplishment!

The numbers shot upward at breakneck speed!

1971!

1999!

As it neared the critical value, Zhou Chen felt his Blood Vitality reach its peak as well! It was as though he had suddenly slammed open the door to a new world!

"Boom!"

Zhou Chen's Blood Vitality abruptly surged to a new height. Merely standing there, he resembled a blazing furnace, and the white frost beneath his feet melted away in flurries.

His Blood Vitality did not disperse, like a winter fire.

It was precisely the mark of First-Rank Major Accomplishment!

Zhou Chen looked at the panel before him, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

[Martial Art: Wild Bull Fist (Minor Accomplishment) 486/2000]

[Realm: First-Rank Skin Tempering Realm (Major Accomplishment) 78/3000]

Now, he dared say that among those below the Second-Rank Martial Artist realm, he would be hard-pressed to find an equal!

Over these past two months, nothing major had happened in the Outer City. It remained unusually quiet, yet anyone could tell that this was merely the calm before the storm.

The good news was that his senior brother, Lian Taoze, had broken through to Copper Sinew-Flesh. Back when he had tempered his skin, he had refused to break through until he reached Copper Skin. Now that he had polished his sinews and flesh to Copper Sinew-Flesh as a Second-Rank Martial Artist, it was hardly surprising.

What Lian Taoze found strange, however, was that after Shen Ao learned of his breakthrough to Copper Sinew-Flesh, the way Shen Ao looked at him became even more unfriendly. Their relationship had only been ordinary to begin with, but now they had practically torn off all pretense.

Only Zhou Chen understood that his senior brother's perfectly timed breakthrough had taken the blame for him.

Clutching his flat money pouch, the joy Zhou Chen felt after his breakthrough quickly faded away again.

He had started with over fifty taels of silver, yet had spent more than forty taels in just two months. Now, his purse was nearly empty once more.

"Why is money never enough?"

Zhou Chen sighed.

These nearly forty taels of silver would have been enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for many years, but poured into a Martial Warrior, they could not even raise a ripple.

"I've broken through in realm. Next, I'll push my fist technique to Major Accomplishment."

If his Wild Bull Fist could reach Major Accomplishment, his strength would undoubtedly rise considerably. In their martial arts school, many disciples had reached the First Grade, yet not a single one had cultivated their fist technique to Major Accomplishment at that realm.

To cultivate the Wild Bull Fist to Major Accomplishment, one needed to comprehend the fearless, unstoppable momentum of Blood Bull Charge. Simply integrating the moves would not work. One had to control the release and withdrawal of force with perfect smoothness. This required not only talent, but also time spent honing it.

After practicing his fist technique once, Zhou Chen took a cold bath, then led his men out on patrol.

During the patrol, Zhou Chen met the newly arrived Martial Warrior named Qin Feng. The two briefly exchanged information about the patrol situation.

After hearing of Zhou Chen's accomplishments, Qin Feng treated him with great respect.

"Brother Zhou, you..." After discussing the patrol just now, Qin Feng sensed Zhou Chen's aura and suddenly cried out in astonishment. "Have you broken through to First-Rank Major Accomplishment?"

Zhou Chen had only just broken through, so his aura was unstable. Smiling, he nodded. "Yes, I just broke through. It was also thanks to the main family's reward. I invested every last bit of that silver into myself."

"Congratulations, Brother Zhou!" Qin Feng clasped his hands, saying with sincere envy, "But silver alone can't pile someone up to this point. Ever since this little brother came here, I've seen you rise before dawn every day to practice your fist technique. Heaven rewards the diligent; you deserve today's gains."

"But that silver was spent almost all at once. Without medicinal supplements, my cultivation will slow down considerably again."

Zhou Chen sighed.

"Then has Brother Zhou considered taking a post with the Night Patrol Bureau?" Qin Feng suddenly asked.

"Taking a post with the Night Patrol Bureau? Can people like us hold two positions at once?"

Seeing Zhou Chen's confusion, Qin Feng explained, "There are two kinds of positions at the Night Patrol Bureau. One is an open post: keeping watch at night and patrolling, advancing according to one's merits in killing Mist Monsters. Above that, one can become a Night Patrol Commander. The other is a covert post, serving as a Night Guard. Though there is no salary, the Night Patrol Bureau does not restrict your freedom either. More importantly, with a Night Guard Token in hand, you can freely enter and leave Black City."

"Freely enter and leave Black City?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's eyelids twitched.

"That's right. Brother Zhou, you surely understand what I mean. Around Black City lies the endless Black Flesh Forest. It may be dangerous, but it contains countless heavenly treasures, rare beasts, and exotic creatures. When many Martial Warriors run short of money, they take a covert post with the Night Patrol Bureau and head out in search of opportunities. Those with good luck can earn dozens, even hundreds, of taels of silver in a single day. Of course, Black Mist blankets the Black Flesh Forest, and opportunities often mean risks. Quite a few people have gone out and never returned."

The Black Flesh Forest Qin Feng spoke of was an extraordinarily dangerous woodland near Black City. The trees there were like living creatures; when cut down, they even bled. That was how it got its name.

Qin Feng then sighed. "After all, once you leave Black City and lose the protection of its walls, if people with strength like ours happen to encounter a powerful exotic beast or a formidable Mist Monster, it will be a brush with death! Those who lose themselves for a moment and wander too deep, getting lost, fare even worse. Trapped outside for days, Black Mist enters their bodies, and they eventually become neither human nor ghost before dying a violent death!"

After hearing this, Zhou Chen nodded, a thoughtful glint flashing through his eyes.

From childhood until now, he had never left the city. Now that he possessed some means of self-protection, he had begun to wonder what exactly lay hidden beyond those towering walls.

Outside Black City was indeed somewhat dangerous, but as long as he was careful, there should be no problem. As the saying went, do not contend over small matters and your steps will remain steady; dare to venture in great matters and you will go far. Forever shrinking back would never lead to great things. To change your life, you had to take some risks.

Next, he would visit the Night Patrol Bureau and see whether he could get a side post, then take a look outside Black City. As soon as the thought arose, a measure of anticipation welled up in his heart.

After all, the Divine Statue in his mind could filter the Miasma Poison within the Black Mist. The Black Mist outside the city was far denser. If he went to the Outer City, would he not be able to accumulate Mist Incense even faster?

Meanwhile, in a residence somewhere in Qingtian District, a rather attractive woman knelt on the ground, weeping as she wiped away her tears.

On a broad grand tutor's chair at the head of the room sat a short, wiry man, barely over five feet tall. His triangular eyes gleamed sharply. He was none other than Yin Mengbo, leader of the Clear River Gang and a Martial Warrior at First-Rank Perfection!

After crying for a while, the woman saw that Yin Mengbo remained silent. Finally unable to endure it any longer, she raised her tearful eyes and said resentfully, "My younger brother has been dead for so long. You're the leader of a gang, yet you can't even seek justice for him? He was your own brother-in-law!"

"Am I not investigating?"

Yin Mengbo rubbed his brow and replied perfunctorily.

After Zhang Mingfei died, he immediately began investigating and had long since identified Zhou Chen. It was only because those above him had urged him to quickly gather ten untouched women to hand over that this matter had been delayed.

Thinking of how he had clearly given instructions last time, only for his subordinates to abduct several married women, Yin Mengbo recalled being viciously berated by those above him. They had ordered him to gather another ten untouched young women within a month.

There were still quite a few places unfilled. On top of that, after learning that Zhou Chen had become a Martial Warrior, Yin Mengbo became even less willing to waste effort over Zhang Mingfei's death.

If not for the fact that this concubine usually served him quite satisfactorily, he would have slapped her to death long ago for all this crying and fussing.

"What's there to investigate?" Hearing this, the woman suddenly raised her head, her voice turning shrill. "It must have been that Zhou Chen! A-Fei told me before that the brat had a younger sister, pretty as fresh water, and he was just about to get his hands on her. But then what happened? Zhou Chen joined the martial arts school, and my brother died in an alley right afterward! Who else could it have been but him?"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, a vicious glint sweeping through her eyes. "Even if it wasn't him, I still want you to kill him! Use his life to bury my brother with him! And that little sister of his too! I want him to suffer a fate worse than death!"

"Wait! You said he has a younger sister?"

Yin Mengbo's eyes lit up.

"Yes!"

"Very good! I'll avenge your brother!"

Yin Mengbo grinned.

Since the two had already formed a grudge over Zhang Mingfei, this feud would certainly have to be settled.

"He's merely a Martial Warrior who has just reached Initiation. His cultivation likely hasn't improved much over these past few months. Dealing with him should not take much effort."

Yin Mengbo muttered to himself, a fierce light in his eyes.