As Lu Sheng willed it within his mind, a strand of Black Fury Skill’s inner Qi surged to life. This time, it was the first level of Black Fury Qi—far more intense than before. Heat roared beneath his skin like molten iron, coursing through his muscles, searing across his bones. Every nerve felt as though it was ablaze.
Black Fury Qi erupted from his shoulders, streaking down his spine and into his right arm, finally gathering in the palm of his hand before pouring into the long saber.
“Chi!”
The blade whistled sharply, slicing the air with a sound like tearing silk, before smashing violently into the tree before him. Wood splintered under the force; the saber cleaved halfway through the trunk before grinding to a halt.
‘Great!’
Lu Sheng’s heart surged with excitement. This strike—this power—proved he had ascended yet again.
Pain racked his body as he staggered back into the wooden hut, collapsing to recuperate.
In the days that followed, he did almost nothing. Aside from light physical exercises, he spent most of his hours sleeping, recovering strength at every opportunity. At most, he circulated Jade Crane Skill at an accelerated pace, letting its gentle currents mend his battered flesh.
He needed to build enough foundation—enough resilience—to challenge the remaining levels ahead.
After all, the Black Fury Skill Manual held three levels he could master.
............
At Lu Manor within Nine Links City, Sister Yu carried a wicker basket filled with hard-boiled eggs, yellow-bean cakes, and two pieces of wind-dried smoked meat. She slipped out through a side door, greeting the guards with practiced ease, then made her way down a narrow alley as though she had traveled it countless times.
At the alley’s entrance, a few children with scruffy ponytails darted about in laughter, fighting to snatch a stick of candied hawthorn from the hands of the fastest one. The sight brought a soft ache to Sister Yu’s heart. Little Eight had once been the same—adorable, stubborn, constantly begging her for those same candied fruits.
Back then, she had only been eighteen, newly employed by the Lu Manor. On fortunate days, she would earn a bit of extra coin—small tips she kept hidden from her parents. With them, she bought treats for Little Eight, who had been just a small boy at the time.
But now…
The memory dissolved into sorrow. Thinking of how Little Eight had recently fallen into such a confused, pitiful state, she felt her chest tighten with grief.
She stepped onto the busier street in front of the manor, forcing herself back into the present. This rare day off was meant for rest—and for bringing joy home. She would visit the stalls, buy trinkets and sweets for her children, and bring something nice back for her husband.
“Child… my child…”
A hoarse whisper broke through her thoughts. Sister Yu turned to see a woman—hair wild, clothes in ruins—sitting slumped against a wall, murmuring to herself as if lost in a world of her own. There was something familiar about her face, though Sister Yu couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before.
Pity stirred within her. She paused, took a bean cake from her basket, and set it gently in front of the woman.
“Please eat. This world… hai.”
She let out a quiet sigh.
She steadied her breath, straightened her posture, and turned to continue browsing through the marketplace.
“Pa.”
In an instant, something icy, wet, and slick clamped tightly around her right hand.
“Have you seen my child!”
The voice rasped sharply.
Sister Yu’s heart leapt into her throat as she spun around. The disheveled woman who had been sitting on the ground now loomed over her, clutching her with bloodshot eyes bulging in a wild, desperate stare.
“What are you doing? Let go!”
Panic surged. Sister Yu yanked her hand free with all her strength and stumbled two steps backward.
“Are you mad!?”
But the woman remained deaf to her words, still burning holes into her with that frenzied gaze.
Sister Yu swallowed hard, silently cursing her own misfortune. She lowered her head and hurried away, abandoning any plans to continue shopping. A tingling sting lingered where the woman had gripped her.
She cut through the next street and slipped into a small alley on her way home. Though narrow and quiet, it provided a quicker route—no need for detours.
The alley stretched on with several bends. Low, single-story homes lined both sides, roofs barely taller than a grown man. Puddles of murky water dotted the path; scraps of discarded trash cluttered the ground.
She glanced at her wrist. The skin where she had been seized was turning red.
“What bad luck… Ai… I’ll need some ointment when I get back.”
With a small leap, she tried to avoid another puddle—but filthy water splashed onto the pink embroidered flowers of her shoes. Her mood soured instantly.
She stomped in irritation and marched forward—
“Bam.”
Her shoulder collided with someone.
She lifted her head.
“Have you seen my child?”
The same woman stood before her.
Sister Yu’s heart pounded violently, threatening to burst from her chest.
She staggered backward, step after step, failing to notice when her heels splashed into a filthy puddle behind her.
“You… you… you!!!”
The woman’s bloodshot eyes never left her—wild and unblinking.
“Child… my child!”
Sister Yu spun around, intent on escaping.
“Pa.”
A thin, skeletal hand clamped down on her arm with shocking force.
“Have you seen my child?”
The woman’s face remained wooden and void of emotion as she repeated those same chilling words.
“Help…!”
The cry barely reached the end of the alley before it was swallowed whole—leaving only stillness and silence in its place.
............
Three days later, at Lu Manor.
Second Mother Liu Cuiyu sat on a wooden bench, her brows deeply knitted as she faced the relative who had come to inquire about Sister Yu.
“Sister Yu isn’t back? She applied for leave three days ago to return to her family.”
The man before her was broad-shouldered, his clothes stained with earth and carrying the familiar scent of farmland. His presence made the side hall feel even smaller.
“Normally, Big Sis would return well ahead of time. But this round, everyone at home waited and waited… yet she never came. We got anxious. And… with all the incidents happening around the city lately… They asked me to come and check…”
Liu Cuiyu shook her head slowly.
“She definitely left that day. I even saw her take some dried meat and biscuits from the kitchen. After so many days… if she didn’t return home, then where could she have gone?”
Even as she spoke, worry began to creep deeper into her chest.
“Bad news! Bad news!”
A frantic shout pierced the moment from outside. A young maid, pale and trembling, rushed into the hall.
“Second Mistress! Bad news! Something happened to Sister Yu!”
“What happened?!” Liu Cuiyu jumped to her feet, face draining of color.
The burly man beside her turned equally pale, eyes wide.
“Sister Yu’s body… someone found it in an alley outside the city. It’s been lifeless for a couple of days!”
The words hit like a strike of lightning. Liu Cuiyu and the man froze, stunned.
“Lifeless…?”
Shaken to her core, Liu Cuiyu collapsed back into her seat.
............
Several days later…
Lu Sheng savored the weight and balance of the saber in his hand, feeling every subtle vibration through the hilt. Black Fury Qi coursed from deep within his body, drifting outward like scorching currents, merging into the blade before spreading evenly along its sharpened edge.
His injuries had mostly healed.
Today, he had resolved to push Black Fury Skill into the second stratum. His body had grown more resistant to the violent turbulence of Black Fury Qi—this time, the backlash should not be as severe.
“Swoosh!”
He launched into the Black Tiger Saber Technique.
Though the technique consisted of only three fundamental moves, each could be divided into over a dozen variations. By merging the insights he had gained with those Uncle Zhao had taught him, Lu Sheng forged a fluid and complex series of saber arcs.
In the clearing before the wooden hut, he moved like a streak of steel. The saber gleamed furiously, slicing the air with sharp whistles. Silver light curled around him in fierce spirals, enclosing his figure within a sphere of flashing blades.
Black Tiger Saber Technique was vicious and domineering—each strike a savage chop capable of tearing through flesh and bone.
He repeated the three core moves more than ten times, stoking his blood and Qi into a roaring blaze. Black Fury Qi surged intermittently through his arm into the saber, granting every strike explosive force.
Seizing the momentum of his boiling Qi and blood, he slid the saber back into its sheath and called out within his mind:
‘Deep Blue!’
The Modifier screen flared into existence.
Lu Sheng acted instantly. He tapped the Modify button, sharpening his focus onto the Black Fury Skill section.
‘Upgrade Black Fury Skill by one level!’
“Swish.”
Black Fury Skill ascended from Level One to Level Two—though this time, the transformation was slower, less abrupt than before.
Lu Sheng had barely completed the modification when a tidal surge of Black Fury Qi burst forth inside him. The amount of Qi seemed to multiply out of thin air, gathering into two fist-sized vortices that spun violently at each of his shoulders.
‘It seems my body has adapted this time. And the Second Level only increases the total amount of Black Fury Qi… it should be fine.’
The manual had stated that the Second Level was the safest stage to advance through; that was why he dared to break through right in the midst of saber practice.
But as soon as he reached the new realm, he sensed the reserves within him had been completely drained.
His Jade Crane Skill’s Qi—usually abundant and nourishing—had always gathered into a firm orb at his chest, ready to overflow once it reached its limit.
Yet this single breakthrough of Black Fury Skill devoured that Qi orb entirely, reducing it to nothing in an instant.
The once-sturdy Jade Crane inner Qi thinned drastically, now no thicker than a mere embroidery needle.
Despite the depletion, Lu Sheng’s determination only grew stronger. His advancement was undeniable. And now… it was nearly time for lunch.
“Young Master, a new letter has arrived!”
Little Qiao stepped into the courtyard carrying a meal box, a yellow envelope stamped with a red seal clutched in her other hand.
“Let me see it.”
Lu Sheng sheathed his saber at his waist before accepting the envelope. He slipped the seal open and scanned the contents swiftly. His expression darkened, then settled into calm composure as he folded the letter away.
“Little Qiao, it’s time for us to head back.”
“Back to Lu Manor?” Little Qiao blinked in surprise, though delight quickly lit her eyes.
“That’s right. Let’s go home,” Lu Sheng replied with a steady nod.
The two of them packed swiftly, ate their lunch in haste, and left a simple note at the courtyard entrance before setting off toward Nine Links City.
The distance from the secluded wooden hut in the forest to the city gates spanned roughly eight to nine miles.
A long saber rested across Lu Sheng’s back. Though crafted from nothing more than refined iron, with no illustrious pedigree, its weight and resilience made it reliable—hard to break, and harder to bend.
They pushed forward with relentless pace. Little Qiao grew exhausted to the point that midway through the journey, Lu Sheng had to carry her for a portion of the road just so she could hold on till the end.
His training in Black Fury Skill and tireless dedication to the saber had forged his body stronger than ever. Each circulation of Black Fury Qi surged like molten heat through his limbs and marrow, tempering muscle and bone with every cycle.
ns216.73.216.33da2
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