Breaking Through in Battle, Living Toward Death

In the courtyard, three masked men from the Red Whale Gang dragged several corpses and threw them into a dry well.

These men were all elite members of their hall. Any one of them alone could have kept Ma San in check.

The leader was named Yan Song, Yan Rong's only son. His cultivation had long since broken through to the Body Tempering Second Layer.

The remaining two were his sworn brothers, both experts among the younger generation.

The three worked in perfect coordination and quickly threw every corpse into the bottom of the well, sealing its mouth with a bluestone slab.

They clearly were not killing and hiding corpses for the first time.

Once they had cleaned up the loose ends here, Yan Song immediately ordered in a low voice:

"Go, to the next house."

Just as the two helpers were about to respond, Yan Song's ears twitched. His expression changed drastically.

"Something's wrong! Watch your backs!"

Clang! The crisp ring of a long blade leaving its sheath suddenly tore through the night sky.

Chen Mu leaped down from the courtyard wall. The blade light whirled in his palm, its cold gleam slicing through the air as it sent two heads flying with a wet slash.

[Ding! Killed two Body-Tempering Martial Masters. Blood Essence seized: +120. Karmic Slaughter gained: +8]

The bloody words of the Slaughter Register flashed before his eyes.

Chen Mu had actually killed the two Body-Tempering First Stage helpers in a single strike!

"You brazen bastard! Take my blade!"

Caught in this sudden upheaval, Yan Song flew into a rage and violently drew his blade, chopping at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu knew that his earlier strike had relied on the luck of a sneak attack. He did not dare let down his guard and met the attack with all his strength.

Bang! The two blades collided in midair.

The instant they exchanged blows, Chen Mu immediately sensed that the other man's strength far surpassed his own.

At the very least, he was at the Body Tempering Second Layer!

Chen Mu immediately changed his approach and stopped meeting force with force.

Using the swiftness and unpredictable changes of the Hundred-Slash Saber Art, he circled Yan Song and launched a rapid assault.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!

In an instant, a string of metal-on-metal clashes rang out through the darkness.

Amid bursts of sparks, blade light sliced apart the trees and stripped the plaster from the courtyard walls.

The more Chen Mu fought, the smoother his movements became. Relying on his exquisite blade technique, he quickly stabilized his footing and gradually began to suppress Yan Song instead.

Yan Song, meanwhile, grew more alarmed with every exchange.

He had trained with the blade for seven or eight years and was considered a skilled blade wielder even within the Red Whale Gang.

Yet now, he could not keep up with Chen Mu's blade speed at all.

The angles of his opponent's blade light were vicious and tricky, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Every move struck for vital points all over his body.

It was simply impossible to defend against!

"Black Tiger Blade Technique? What is your relationship with Ma San?!"

Yan Song violently slashed Chen Mu back and roared his question.

He had vaguely recognized that Chen Mu's blade style followed the Black Tiger Blade Technique's usual path of fierce, ruthless sharpness, only with far more variations.

Chen Mu was masked as well and did not answer. Cold light burst from his eyes as he raised his blade and attacked once more.

"Enough nonsense. Take this!"

Bang! Their blades collided once again.

This time, Yan Song went all out. Strength surged through his entire body, forcibly sending Chen Mu flying away.

"Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!"

With an angry roar, he pursued, intending to kill Chen Mu while he was unsteady on his feet.

Chen Mu had deliberately exposed that opening, having calculated that this man was too eager to press his attack.

Seeing his opponent take the bait, he suddenly kicked off the low wall behind him. As he turned and charged back, he fiercely slashed out three streaks of cold light!

This was precisely the Black Tiger Blade Technique's most vicious killing move, made even sharper after being absorbed by the Hundred-Slash Saber Art.

Like the legendary division of sword shadows into beams of light, three dazzling silver flashes bloomed across the night sky at once!

The three strikes targeted Yan Song's upper, middle, and lower vital points. Before the biting blade wind could even reach him, it had already cut open his robe.

"Not good!"

By the time Yan Song shouted, it was already too late!

His pupils trembled violently as he hastily blocked the two strikes aimed at his face and neck.

The remaining streak of cold light flashed abruptly, slicing through his waist and abdomen with a wet slash.

Blood immediately sprayed everywhere as Yan Song let out a miserable scream.

The sinews and membranes around his waist and abdomen, as tough as cowhide, were cut open into a palm-wide gash.

Severed intestines poured out amid a surging flood of blood.

Chen Mu pressed his advantage, giving him not the slightest chance to catch his breath. He kicked off fiercely and charged forward, hacking out seven or eight more strikes in succession.

"Stop! You dare kill me?!"

Yan Song desperately parried. Even as he struggled on the brink of death, he still tried to intimidate him.

"Die!"

Chen Mu suddenly shouted coldly. A dim glimmer burst from his blade's edge as it came crashing down.

Clang! The strike hit Yan Song's blade and paused for only an instant before slicing it cleanly in two!

"That's impossible!"

Yan Song screamed in terror, watching helplessly as his blade snapped. Then his neck suddenly turned cold.

Slash!

His head spun through the air several meters away, blood gushing from his severed neck like a fountain.

[Ding! Killed a Body Tempering Second Layer Martial Master. Blood Essence seized: +150. Karmic Slaughter gained: +10]

Drawing upon the faint accumulation of Baleful Intent, Chen Mu's strike was incomparably sharp and directly severed Yan Song's head.

Only after the head rolled across the ground did Yan Song's body crash down heavily.

His head rolled through mud and blood, his eyes bulging wide. Even in death, he could not believe it.

Chen Mu had already sheathed his blade and exhaled. His arms trembled from the recoil of the recent battle.

At the same time, dark red, blood-soaked black smoke rose from the three corpses on the ground and flowed back into Chen Mu's body.

The Slaughter Register had seized over 300 points of Blood Essence!

Chen Mu's body immediately seemed to boil. Blood Essence surged wildly, directly breaking through the bottleneck.

[Realm: Martial Master (Body-Tempering First Stage → Body Tempering Second Layer)]

[Blood Essence: 720/1000 → 1110/2000]

[Karmic Slaughter: 2 → 20]

Chen Mu immediately felt the sinews and bones throughout his body resound in unison as surging strength swept through every limb and bone.

This was the Body Tempering Second Layer, the Flesh Refinement Realm!

Having broken through the Great Accomplishment Realm of Skin Refinement, his Blood Essence had penetrated deep into his body and begun transforming his muscles and fascia.

Ordinary blades could no longer easily harm Chen Mu. With one arm, he could lift a cauldron; with a turn of his palm, he could split steles and crack stones.

It took him nearly a quarter of an hour to adapt to the surging power within his body.

Chen Mu did not dare linger here for long and quickly suppressed the Blood Essence that was still churning within him.

He swiftly searched the three corpses and found only a few medicine bottles and a manual.

He had no time to inspect it, so he casually stuffed it into his clothes and threw the bodies into the dry well as well.

After finishing this, Chen Mu immediately sprang from the residence and headed for Ma San's next hideout.

This was the last one, located in a private residence on the eastern side of Central Peace Street.

When Chen Mu arrived, the Red Whale Gang had not yet made their move. Lights were still burning inside, and several thugs were committing evil deeds.

A woman's crying pleas for mercy faintly drifted from the courtyard, accompanied by men's lewd laughter.

"You little bitch! Weren't you hard-boned? Aren't you still enjoying yourself beneath Grandpa's crotch now?"

"Damn it, Lord Ma is dead, and us brothers have nowhere to vent our fire. If you don't serve us properly today, watch out or we'll skin you alive! Scream!"

Hearing this from afar, rage flared in Chen Mu's eyes.

These people had somehow captured a decent woman and were carrying out such filthy acts.

Without another word, he drew on the surging Blood Essence from his breakthrough, smashed through the roof, and came slashing down with his blade held crosswise.

Crash!

"Who is it?! Watch out, there's a blade!"

Amid the flying roof tiles, Chen Mu's blade light shone like snow. He spun once in midair and beheaded three terrified thugs on the spot.

[Ding! Killed three evildoers. Blood Essence seized: +50. Karmic Slaughter gained: +3]

With two thuds, the three headless corpses toppled over inside the wrecked little room.

Chen Mu flicked the blood from his blade tip, and his physique grew a little stronger still.

Yet there was not the slightest hint of excitement on his face. Turning around with a cold expression, he looked behind him.

A woman lay on the bed.

She appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen. Naked and covered in filthy blood and bruises, she was severely torn below the waist and had clearly suffered every kind of humiliation.

She was already at her last breath. Her lifeless eyes stared at Chen Mu as she raised one bloodstained hand.

"B-Benefactor, kill me..."

She pleaded like this, wearing a smile of relief while tears mixed with blood trickled from the corners of her eyes.

Seeing this, Chen Mu sighed mournfully. Knowing she had no chance of surviving, he hardened his heart.

"Go in peace."

Clang! He drew his blade like lightning and cut across the woman's throat.

Several mouthfuls of bloody liquid spilled from the corner of her lips. Her neck tilted to one side, and she breathed her last completely.

The Slaughter Register gave no response.

Chen Mu's vitality was now as vigorous as a bull's.

Compared with his own, this woman's muddled Blood Essence was like a firefly beside the sun and moon—utterly insignificant.

Chen Mu quickly covered her body with the bed curtain.

He then dragged the three thugs to the woodshed. After searching them, he set a fire and burned them.

Once he had dealt with everything, Chen Mu let out a heavy breath and looked toward Rubble Ward.

He knew that the Red Whale Gang could not possibly have sent only that one group tonight.

By now, his own courtyard had likely become a place of certain death. A-Ning might even have fallen into the enemy's hands.

But he had no way out. He had come here to kill these men and seize their Blood Essence precisely so he could gamble his life on one desperate throw.

Now that he had broken through in battle and his strength had greatly increased, it was time to kill his way back.

Even knowing full well that it was a trap, Chen Mu could not abandon A-Ning. He had to carve a bloody path and take her out.

"A-Ning, wait for me."

With determination flashing through his eyes, he leaped away from the burning residence behind him and rushed into the dim streets and alleys.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you do not lose it next time.