Walking out of the villa, Huang Tian took a few minutes to reach the roadside. After hailing a ride on his phone, he tilted his head back to gaze at the sky.
The light had grown dim, the sunset's glow already gone. In the distance, the horizon seemed draped in a curtain of silver-gray, dotted with faint starlight, instilling a profound sense of vast solitude.
*Beep beep—*
A moment later, a car pulled slowly to the curb.
Opening the door, he climbed in with his black bag in hand, and the vehicle started forward.
Rather than heading back to school, he planned to first exchange the gold for cash. After a drive of forty to fifty minutes, the car finally stopped on a city street.
He carried the bag into a jewelry store, and when he emerged shortly afterward, the bag was significantly lighter. With the cash secured, he hailed another ride and headed straight for the medicine hall where he had previously purchased pills to bolster his qi and blood.
The person who greeted him was a crew-cut young man who appeared to be twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. His steps were steady and his demeanor crisp and capable—clearly a practiced martial artist.
"Mr. Huang? Welcome, welcome!"
The crew-cut youth looked rather astonished. Just several days earlier, this young man surnamed Huang had bought pills worth several hundred thousand yuan from him in a single purchase, yet here he was again today.
"Please, have a seat. Are you looking to buy Replenishment Pills like last time, Mr. Huang?" the youth asked.
"Do you have anything more potent?" Huang Tian asked.
"Well, there are... *cough, cough*—it's not a question of money, but rather that certain pills carry such fierce medicinal power that taking them recklessly can end up severely draining one's qi and blood instead."
The crew-cut youth scrutinized him carefully. "Mr. Huang, you ought to be a martial artist as well, right?"
Huang Tian nodded.
"Then that's fine. If you were an ordinary person, I wouldn't dare sell them to you. If someone were to lose their life, it would be quite a headache."
The crew-cut youth smiled. "I have Blood Harmonizing Pills here. The market price is ten thousand yuan a bottle, with ten pills inside. Martial artists at the Second and Third Transformations of Qi and Blood generally take these. For First Transformation martial artists like us, a single pill provides enough benefit to last several days. How many are you looking to buy, Mr. Huang?"
"Do you have anything better?" Huang Tian asked.
"Uh... no, none at all. Anything superior is either monopolized by the major schools or controlled by the authorities." The youth shook his head, then raised an eyebrow slightly. "You wouldn't happen to belong to any sect or school, would you, Mr. Huang?"
If someone were an inner disciple of an established school, they rarely had to buy medicinal pills or solutions outside, since their sect always had dedicated apothecaries.
"I'm not," Huang Tian replied straightforwardly.
The youth showed an understanding look. "No wonder you weren't familiar with this... Mr. Huang, speaking of which, would you consider joining us? Don't misunderstand—we aren't a martial school, nor are we government officials. We're just an informal group formed by some young martial artists here in Baidi City. Everyone's a friend, and we share information and training experiences with each other.
"Aside from our group leader, who is an accomplished disciple of the Yuanzhen Sect, most of the others are independent martial artists. Oh, right—the Yuanzhen Sect is the largest and most powerful school in our Baidi City."
Having said that, he tapped his own forehead and added, "There are no fees to join, and you don't have to do anything on ordinary days. Think of it as joining a discussion forum where everyone is on equal footing."
Huang Tian pondered for a moment. "All right."
To him, joining a casual circle with zero obligations had plenty of value. At the very least, it would deepen his understanding of this world's martial arts system and the local situation in Baidi City.
"I'm Qu Xiao." The crew-cut youth smiled and pulled out his phone. "I'll send you an invite to the group chat."
A moment later, Huang Tian joined a group titled 'Baidi Young Martial Artists Social Club,' which had over seventy members.
The group owner went by his real name, He Zhengtong. Looking through his profile in the group, Huang Tian saw that he was the twelfth personal disciple of the Yuanzhen Sect's sect master, currently at the peak of the Second Transformation of Qi and Blood.
As for the other members, some used their real names while others used aliases.
After Huang Tian joined, only Qu Xiao and two or three other members posted 'Welcome, newcomer' stickers; everyone else remained lurking.
"Now that you've joined, we're friends. I'll give you a five percent discount on these Blood Harmonizing Pills. How much do you want to buy, Brother Huang?" Qu Xiao asked with a grin.
"Two million yuan worth."
"??"
Qu Xiao nearly choked on his own saliva. "That much in one go?!"
"Do you not have enough in stock?"
"We do! We do!"
"That's all that matters."
"Then... I'll have someone bring the medicine over?"
"Go ahead."
More than half an hour later, as he saw Huang Tian out the door, Qu Xiao marveled inwardly. Bringing a whole bag of cash to buy pills—this Brother Huang was truly a deep pool running still...
Carrying a case filled with Blood Harmonizing Pills, Huang Tian did not head back to school. Instead, he walked into a nearby hotel to check in. Fang Yun was at the dorm today, making it inconvenient to consume pills and cultivate in front of him; staying outside for a few days was far better.
Taking his keycard, he entered a bright, spacious room. Without hesitation, he popped open the case, retrieved a bottle of Blood Harmonizing Pills, and emptied all of them into his mouth at once.
The medicinal potency detonated. His qi and blood surged in an instant, bubbling violently like boiling water. Anyone standing close would have heard a gurgling roar echoing within his flesh. Tendrils of white steam rose off his body as he locked himself into a stance, closing his eyes to circulate his qi and blood.
Roughly an hour later, his qi and blood settled back into calm. He opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of air. "The medicinal power is decent enough. These pills are more than sufficient to grant me another breakthrough, with plenty left over."
He was in no hurry to continue cultivating. Instead, he pulled out his phone, opened the group chat, and began browsing the shared files.
*Martial Artist Rank Divisions: First, Second, and Third Transformations of Qi and Blood, Limit Break, Combat Master, Martial Grandmaster.*
*...Within the Yangbai Federation, there are four high-tier schools, each guarded by at least one Martial Grandmaster; thirty mid-tier schools, each guarded by at least one Combat Master; and more than two hundred low-tier schools, each guarded by at least one Limit Break martial artist...*
*Within Baidi City, two major powers hold sway: the official Dawnlight branch and the Yuanzhen Sect, each possessing at least one Limit Break martial artist.*
*Beneath them are small, unranked schools, security divisions of major corporations, and independent martial artists from civil society.*
*...Beginning roughly three years ago, numerous evil god cults emerged across the globe. They claim that their deities will soon descend to destroy all living creatures, and that only those who submit and convert will survive—or even attain eternal life alongside their gods.*
*The members of these cults possess formidable strength. Ordinary members are already martial artists of the Qi-and-Blood realm, sub-deacons are Limit Break martial artists, bishops are at the Combat Master level, and high priests rival Martial Grandmasters. As for whether even higher ranks exist, it remains currently unknown...*
*Dawnlight is the Yangbai Federation's agency responsible for overseeing martial artists, though in recent years its focus has shifted toward purging various evil god cults among the populace.*
*All sect-affiliated and independent martial artists can follow this link to download an app. Dawnlight publishes bounties and missions regarding the eradication of cults and criminal martial artists on this software. Martial artists can accept missions to earn merit points, which can be exchanged for gold, cash, pills, medicinal solutions, weapons...*
*Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~*
Just as Huang Tian was browsing the documents, a stream of new messages popped up in the group chat.
*Group Owner He Zhengtong: I just got word that the Flesh Society, the ones who revere that 'Feast Lord,' are stirring up trouble in the city. Dawnlight is conducting an intensive investigation and asked our Yuanzhen Sect to assist. The city won't be peaceful for a while, so everyone please stay alert.*
*Recluse Under the Covers: Ah! I heard those Flesh Society bastards eat people, especially the flesh and blood of martial artists like us. Dammit!*
*Steamed Cake Smiles: @Group Owner He Zhengtong, Big Boss, do you know the general strength of those Flesh Society folks?*
*Group Owner He Zhengtong: At least one sub-deacon has arrived in our city, otherwise Dawnlight wouldn't be on such high alert.*
*Steamed Cake Smiles: Fuck! A sub-deacon? Isn't that a Limit Break martial artist? If we run into one, we won't even be able to escape—*
*Liu Xuexue: Sigh, the rate at which those cultists grow stronger is utterly ridiculous. I remember two or three years ago they didn't even have a single Limit Break martial artist, and now they even have figures at the Martial Grandmaster level. Could it be that gods truly exist beyond the heavens? That offering sacrifices to them really grants strength?*
*Group Owner He Zhengtong: @Liu Xuexue, maybe there are, maybe there aren't. But even if there are, I strongly advise against walking that wicked path. Many of you have never crossed paths with those cultists. They might appear normal on the surface, but their minds are already corrupted and entirely insane. They can no longer be called human.*
*Recluse Under the Covers: Absolutely. I'd never offer my body, mind, and soul to some bullshit evil god... Everyone, try to stay indoors as much as possible these days. Don't let the Flesh Society catch your scent.*
*...*
Having scanned through the group files and the chat logs, Huang Tian acquired a solid grasp of the general situation in Baidi City before setting down his phone.
"Back to cultivating. Whether it's evil god cults or the true evil deities descending in person, once my realm is high enough, I'll smash them all to pieces!"
He picked up another bottle of Blood Harmonizing Pills, dumped them into his mouth, and swallowed them down. The familiar roaring surge of qi and blood flared once more. Maintaining an impassive expression, he concentrated entirely on circulating his qi and blood.
In the blink of an eye, five days passed.
Inside the hotel room, Huang Tian shifted his stance. A rapid series of sharp cracks burst from his skeleton as his qi and blood surged in a frenzied torrent.
*Boom!*
Veins writhed like pythons beneath his skin, twitching and darting as though thousands of tiny serpents were attempting to burst forth from his body!
His frame expanded. His spine extended inch by inch, and his muscles grew, bulging and knotting into dense cords. Scorching white steam billowed around him, coalescing into a hazy vapor cloud above his head.
*Crash! Crash!*
His qi and blood roared like a rushing tide. A faint, dark-red glow pulsed beneath his skin to the rhythm of the crashing surf, as if his entire person had become an active volcano on the brink of eruption!
After a long while, the physical transformation subsided. Lowering his head, he raised his palm and clenched his fingers. His knuckles popped like roasting beans, and the air trapped in his grasp let out a shrill shriek akin to a sonic boom!
"The Limit Break is complete! Forcing open the gates of qi and blood to break past bodily limits... from this moment onward, I am truly beyond mortal constraints."
In just five days, he had broken through once again. This was partly due to the superior potency of the Blood Harmonizing Pills, but also owing to the points he had invested earlier. The twelve potential points he had dumped in one go had not only propelled him from the Second to the Third Transformation, but had also tempered and amassed an immense foundation of qi and blood, sparing him countless grueling grinds. That was why this breakthrough had come so swiftly.
Standing in place, he stretched his limbs. "A bit too tall, and far too muscular..."
He was now roughly twenty centimeters taller than before. Since the original body had already been tall to begin with, he would now tower over an ordinary crowd like a crane amid chickens.
"For everyday matters, keeping my original form is more convenient."
With that thought, he gave his body a gentle shake. The bones inside him instantly cracked and popped, his knotted musculature smoothed down while retaining immense tensile elasticity, and his height swiftly reverted to normal.
*Come to think of it, five days have passed. Has the Flesh Society still not found those three corpses and the name I left behind?*
*Well, quite possible. According to that group owner He Zhengtong, Dawnlight is collaborating with the Yuanzhen Sect to purge the Flesh Society members infiltrating Baidi City, so it's only natural they couldn't attend to it right away...*
Mid-thought, his expression suddenly shifted. A pitch-black, gleaming voice line reached out across the void.
"Speak of the devil, and the devil appears."
Finding it rather amusing, he traced his gaze along the voice line. The scene before his eyes abruptly shifted:
In the courtyard of a villa, a tall and a short man dressed in black stood beside three half-rotted corpses, their faces looking grim to the extreme.
Their dark expressions were not caused by the darling little fly-babies crawling over the corpses, but by the two characters written beside the bodies.
"Huang Tian? Huang Tian! Heh!" The tall man sneered through gritted teeth, his complexion ashen. "To kill our people and dare leave his name behind... utterly brazen!"
The short man countered, "That might not necessarily be the killer's name. It could have been left intentionally to mislead us."
"Even so, whoever this Huang Tian is, he must be connected to the killer. Perhaps an enemy? Regardless, we'll know everything once we drag him in for interrogation," the tall man said coldly.
The short man frowned in contemplation for a few seconds. "Assuming this Huang Tian really is the killer, his strength is definitely nothing to scoff at. One-Ear and the other two, together with six blood beasts, could easily hold their own against a Second Transformation martial artist. Therefore, Huang Tian is very likely at the Third Transformation. Just the two of us won't have absolute certainty in taking him down. Besides, tracking him down will be a hassle."
"Then report it upward and let Sub-Deacon Xu decide," the tall man suggested.
"Fine."
The short man took out an encrypted phone and dialed a number. A few seconds later, the line connected. "Sub-Deacon, we..."
After he laid out the details, Sub-Deacon Xu's voice replied from the other end, "Understood. I'll discuss it with Sub-Deacon Wu in a bit. You two may withdraw."
"Understood."
The call disconnected. The short man said, "Let's go."
"What about these corpses?"
"You want to eat corpses that are already crawling with maggots?"
"...I meant burying them."
"Pointless. Let's withdraw. Dawnlight has been pursuing us relentlessly lately; the longer we stay out in the open, the greater the risk."
"Fine, we'll do as you say."
Severing the vision, Huang Tian looked at a second black line reaching across the void. With a shift of his gaze, the scene transformed again, revealing the figure of Sub-Deacon Xu coldly snorting, "Huang Tian? He deserves to die!"
Pulling his perspective upward to gaze down from the sky, Huang Tian saw that the place Sub-Deacon Xu occupied was a holiday resort.
"Yuanxiu Villa? Found you! My lovely little bundles of experience!"
Huang Tian bared his teeth in a smile, his pearly whites gleaming cold and sharp like blades.
Chapter 211