Profound Subtlety Realm

In the Brocade Guard precinct in the early morning, Li Chen Zhou sat upright in a grand master's chair, a silk cloth in his hand slowly wiping the Blood Demon Blade's blade.

The blade reflected the morning light from the window, emitting an eerie red glow, as if fresh blood flowed between the edges.

"Soul Absorption Art..." He gently stroked the blade's texture with his fingertip, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes. "I've been deliberately hiding it all this time, but now that I'm about to break through the fifth rank, it's time to let this technique reappear in the world."

Thinking of the merits he had earned in the past few days by destroying Heavenly Desire Palace strongholds, his promotion to Centurion was a certainty.

Just as he was pondering, footsteps came from outside the door.

"Sir, it's our turn to patrol the streets today." The bookish scholar stood at the door with his fists cupped, a saber at his waist, his expression respectful.

Li Chen Zhou sheathed his blade, the scarlet tassel swaying slightly at his waist. "Yes, it's good to go out for a stroll. Pick ten brothers and come with me for a walk."

Que Street was bustling with noise, vendors hawking their wares incessantly. But Li Chen Zhou's brows gradually furrowed—there were many unfamiliar faces on the market street today.

Sword-wielding swordsmen gathered in twos and threes at tea stalls, saber-bearing strongmen leaned against the railings of restaurants, and some even blatantly sized him up, their eyes either burning with fighting spirit or playful amusement.

"Something's not right." Li Chen Zhou whispered, turning his head. "Go back and check why so many Jianghu people have gathered in the Capital City recently."

Just as the bookish scholar was about to acknowledge the order, a clear sword chime suddenly came from ahead!

"Clang—"

A bright, snow-white longsword was stuck in the bluestone pavement, the words "Gentleman" on the sword tassel fluttering in the wind.

The sword-wielder wore a moon-white robe and had a face like jade, none other than Xie An, the forty-seventh ranked on the Human Rankings, "Gentleman's Sword".

"Lord Li of the Brocade Guard?" Xie An cupped his fist, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I am Xie An, forty-seventh on the Human Rankings, 'Gentleman's Sword', here to ask for guidance."

Li Chen Zhou's eyes turned cold.

The Blood Demon Blade seemed to sense something, emitting a slight hum in its scabbard, a chilling killing intent surging towards the other party like a tide.

The oil in a street vendor's pot suddenly crackled and popped, startling passersby into retreating.

"Where did you hear of my name?" His voice was calm, but it made the surrounding temperature plummet.

Xie An raised an eyebrow. "The Heavenly Desire Palace has offered a thousand taels of gold for a way to break your moves, and the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has even ranked you in the top twenty of the Hidden Dragon Rankings." He suddenly lowered his voice. "Now half the Jianghu knows that under your Flying Fish Uniform... lies an evil art that can absorb people's inner strength."

Li Chen Zhou scanned the surroundings—heads were poking out of the tea house windows to watch the excitement, idlers squatting in the alleyways were cracking melon seeds, and even the old man selling sugar figurines had stopped his craft. This was clearly a setup!

"Clang!"

The Blood Demon Blade was drawn three inches from its scabbard, its chilling killing intent causing Xie An to retreat three steps!

"This is the Capital City, I am an official and you are a commoner." He suddenly sneered, the scabbard of the blade heavily hitting the bluestone pavement, a hidden force spreading along the ground tiles, causing a fine crack to appear in Xie An's "Gentleman" waist牌. "If you block my path again, I guarantee you won't leave the Capital City alive."

Xie An calmly unfurled a roll of yellow silk. "The Jianghu Rankings competition was decreed by the Great Ancestor, and the Ministry of Rites just stamped it yesterday. But Lord Li is busy with official duties, so I won't disturb you for now." He stepped aside, but said meaningfully, "When Lord Li has time, Xie will be waiting for you at the Emerald Cloud Tower these few days..."

The team continued to move forward, but whispers followed like a malignant tumor:

"What little devil, he's just relying on his official position..."

"He doesn't even dare to accept a challenge, he's completely disgraced Duke Zhen's Estate..."

Li Chen Zhou's knuckles turned white, but he forcefully suppressed his anger. It wasn't until he returned to the precinct that he smashed the desk with a fist. "Investigate! Who exactly is fueling the flames!"

White Cat Nine hurriedly entered, handing over a roll of confidential report. "Sir, we've found out. The Heavenly Desire Palace, in conjunction with the Nangong family, spread the news, drawing this year's Jianghu Rankings competition to the Capital City!"

"Jianghu Rankings?"

"Exactly." White Cat Nine wiped sweat and explained, "The Human Rankings rank martial artists below the fifth rank, the Hidden Dragon Rankings list new talents under the age of thirty; in addition, there is the Earth Rankings for the fourth rank (Small Grandmaster ranking), the Heaven Rankings for the third rank (Grandmaster ranking), the Dragon Rankings for the second rank (Grandmaster ranking), and the Supreme Rankings for those above the first rank (Peak Powerhouse ranking)."

Before he could finish speaking, Deputy Centurion Zhang Biao strode in. This man, known for his iron blood, now had a solemn expression. "Chen Zhou, things are more troublesome than we thought."

Li Chen Zhou rose to greet him, personally pouring tea. "Lord Zhang, please clarify."

"The Jianghu people have set the three rankings competition in the Capital City, clearly trying to slap the imperial court in the face!" Zhang Biao slammed the teacup down heavily. "But this time, we will make sure they don't return!" It turned out that the Eastern Depot, Brocade Guard, and even the Six Ministries had reached a consensus—since the Jianghu people had come to their door, they would take the opportunity to severely deter them!

"The Ministry of Rites has taken on the responsibility of hosting." Zhang Biao's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. "All the young generation of the imperial court must participate. The higher the ranking, the greater the reward!" He lowered his voice. "Commander specifically instructed that you must kill your way into the top ten of the Human Rankings!"

In the dead of night, Li Chen Zhou sat alone in the training room. The system panel floated before his eyes:

Host: Li Chen Zhou

Realm: Sixth Rank Peak (113/120)

Martial Arts:

- Thirteen Guardian Golden Bell Shield (Great Accomplishment)

- Three Abyssal Slashes (Great Accomplishment)

- Soul Absorption Art (Great Accomplishment) Divine Attribute 20%

Weapon: Blood Demon Blade (Blood Drinking Amplification)

"I still need seven years of cultivation before I can successfully step into the fifth rank—" He caressed the hilt of his blade, when he suddenly heard a light sound of tiles shifting outside the window.

"Who!"

A black shadow flipped in through the window, actually Nangong Yue's personal bodyguard! The person knelt on one knee, presenting a gilded invitation. "The Holy Maiden invites you, sir, to meet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion at noon tomorrow."

Li Chen Zhou sneered.

As martial artists gathered in the Capital City, the Capital City's Five City Garrison Divisions fully mobilized to maintain order. The Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Brocade Guard all cooperated, and Six Doors also recalled the God Catcher and the Four Great Divine Arresters from outside. The four departments each maintained the security of the four districts of the Capital City, and the court's intervention made the Jianghu people gather in the Capital City much more peaceful.

As the sun set in the west, Li Chen Zhou returned to Duke Zhen's Estate and saw Duke Zhen Guo, Li Qing Shan, sitting in the hall drinking tea.

"You're back." Li Qing Shan said, picking up his teacup as Li Chen Zhou returned.

"Yes." Li Chen Zhou unfastened the Blood Demon Blade from his waist and sat down, asking, "About the martial world ranking competition?"

Li Qing Shan put down his teacup. "The Nangong family intended to provoke a conflict between you and the martial world practitioners, but the Emperor stole their thunder. After using Prince Jin to deal with some people in the court, the Emperor is now preparing to extend his blade to the martial world."

"I don't care. No matter who he is, as long as he doesn't block my path." Li Chen Zhou had just gotten up to leave.

"Wait." Li Qing Shan took out a box and handed it to him. "Take this with you."

Li Chen Zhou didn't refuse, taking the box and returning to his room. He opened it and was slightly surprised. "It's the Greater Revitalization Pill the Emperor gave me last time."

Back in his bedroom, Li Chen Zhou swallowed the Greater Revitalization Pill. The pill entered his stomach like surging magma.

"Boom!"

The moment his Qi Sea acupoint broke through its restraints, the system screen surged:

"Ding—Congratulations to the host for breaking through to Fifth Grade, Profound Insight Realm!

Unlocked the second level of the Divine Martial Art: Soul Absorption Art's second level—Cosmic Shift.

Blood Demon Blade has awakened a new trait: Blood Drinking Power Storage."

The copper bell hanging from the eaves suddenly chimed despite the absence of wind.