BANG!
Gongsun Zhanglan crashed into the corner of the red wooden table, shattering it beneath his weight. His face had turned a sickly shade of grey, blood surging with fury as he stared at his niece—her body burning hot, her breath faint and fading.
“A BUNCH OF TRASH!!!”
His glare swept across the trembling subordinates, none daring to lift their heads.
“Young Miss asked you to bring her there, so you brought her?! If she asked you to go and die, why haven’t you done so yet?!”
“Sect Master…! It was Young Miss who insisted on seeing for herself what kind of person had taken her position. She refused to listen to us. We had no choice…” an elderly man with white hair explained helplessly.
Gongsun Zhanglan knew full well the kind of temper his niece possessed. Her skills were mediocre, yet she always sought to outwit her rivals. With such an inflated sense of pride, she was a handful for anyone to manage.
He also knew that scolding these subordinates was pointless. Gongsun Jing had been the one to provoke the confrontation, and Lu Sheng could easily claim she had shown disrespect toward someone of higher rank.
“Fire poison inner force…” With just a glance, Gongsun Zhanglan identified the nature of the palm strike that had wounded her.
He carried Gongsun Jing into the inner room and gently loosened her clothing around the chest. Even beneath her thin inner garments, a reddish-black palm print stood stark between her breasts. The sight made his fury erupt once more.
“Such a vicious palm strike! This could have sent Jing’er to the grave!”
Without a Yin-nature inner force to suppress it, the fire poison would have devoured her life from within. The strike itself wasn’t brutally heavy, yet the venomous heat it carried burned relentlessly at her life force with every passing moment.
“This palm strike…”
Gongsun Zhanglan’s face had drained of all color. As his fingers brushed the edge of the palm-shaped mark, a searing heat shot into his index finger, forcing him to recoil.
“LU SHENG!” His eyes hardened with icy fury. If the Sect rules did not strictly forbid killing fellow members, Jing’er might never have made it back alive.
“Jing’er!”
A petite, gentle woman pushed aside the door blinds and hurried in. The moment her eyes fell upon the tragic sight, she froze—then broke into uncontrollable sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“What are you crying for!?” Gongsun Zhanglan snapped coldly. “I’ll take care of it! I’ll make that Lu Sheng PAY!”
He rose to his feet.
“Go. Send someone to invite my sworn brother Fang Zhidong—he must come and save her. Then issue a duel challenge to that External Affairs Emissary Lu. Since he wants to test himself against me, I’ll gladly oblige!”
“But Big Bro!” The woman’s expression tightened with fear.
“No buts.” His voice cut her off. “We can handle this by Sect rules, but Jing’er confronted that brat first. The fault will fall on her for disrespecting a superior. At most, he’ll be blamed for striking too hard, given a few days of reflection, and fined a bit of money. With Hong Mingzi’s shrewdness, nothing more will come of it. It’s meaningless. If we act, then we act decisively. We issue a death-match challenge.”
Gongsun Zhanglan had made his decision. Lu Sheng was nothing more than the old Sect Master’s sharpened blade—and if he wished to plant his own people steadily, that blade had to be removed.
“Alright… Big Bro, please be careful. That man’s palm strike truly is terrifying. Poor Little Jing…” she murmured, wiping her tears with trembling hands.
“If my reputation weren’t on the line, I wouldn’t even spare Hong Mingzi a glance—let alone some Lu Sheng.”
News of Lu Sheng’s earlier exchange with Hong Mingzi in the small garden had already reached him through his informants. He had a general measure of Lu Sheng’s strength: impressive, yes—but still far from enough to threaten him.
Gongsun Zhanglan’s thoughts darkened.
This boy’s talent was monstrous, his progress frighteningly swift, and he was younger to boot. Someone like that needed to be eliminated before he grew into a real threat.
Without hesitation—Gongsun Zhanglan was never the type to waver—he instructed his sister to head to the study and write the duel challenge. This time, he intended to cripple Lu Sheng completely and smother Hong Mingzi’s rising ambitions.
‘I have spent years planting my influence within the Crimson Whale Sect. And they think a mere brat can overturn it? Ridiculous.’
A cold, murderous gleam flickered in Gongsun Zhanglan’s eyes.
…………
At the Golden Jade Greenhouse in Mountain-Edge City.
Among the many properties owned by the Crimson Whale Sect, a vast stretch of greenhouses stood on the city’s outskirts, reserved exclusively for cultivating plants desired by the wealthy and influential.
Inside, the greenhouse was bright and spacious. In the largest one, an expansive patch of bare ground lay open—used solely for sunning flower petals to dry them into fragrant blossoms.
Ever since Lu Sheng discovered the place a few days earlier, he had taken a liking to it. The floral scent filled the air, refreshing and invigorating, far cleaner than the stale atmosphere of the city.
Aside from the guards stationed at the entrance, everyone else—including the gardeners—had been dismissed by him.
Walking leisurely through the sea of crimson and gold blossoms, Lu Sheng took out the small clay vial tucked in his chest. He tipped out a tiny red pill, no larger than a grain, and swallowed it.
‘The Crimson Yang Pill truly lives up to its reputation.’ He felt it dissolve the instant it touched his tongue. Warmth spread rapidly as his mouth flooded with saliva, which in turn transformed into a blazing heat that surged down his throat and into his stomach.
Soon, an immense warmth radiated from his abdomen, spreading throughout his body until every limb felt comfortably heated and light.
‘Ultimate Crimson Mantra has seven levels in total. With senior apprentice brother’s guidance, sensing Qi and entering the basics was easy. After tending to my body these past few days… today might be the time to break into the first level.’
Finding a quiet place to refine his skills had become increasingly difficult. At the residence he shared with Little Qiao, he constantly sensed someone spying on him. And with his awareness so keen now, even the footsteps and chatter of pedestrians below disrupted his focus.
After taking over Wu San’s assets, he had scoured the properties for a place quiet enough to train in secret. Eventually, he found this secluded patch of greenhouses.
Some of the greenhouses cultivated fresh flowers in bulk, supplying wealthy households and officials who used them to adorn their manor gardens. Others produced dried blossoms for medicinal shops across the city. Another section crafted fashionable flower teas, highly sought after within the Crimson Whale Sect for their beautifying effects. Altogether, it was a thriving business.
Stepping onto the empty sunning ground scattered with petals, Lu Sheng came to a halt. He closed his eyes, hands clasped behind his back, as if simply enjoying the faint floral fragrance.
No one would have imagined he was attempting a breakthrough.
‘Deep Blue,’ he called out silently.
Swish
The square frame of the Modifier appeared before him, its upper edge lined with a long row of martial arts options.
Lu Sheng scanned through them one by one until he found what he sought—Ultimate Crimson Mantra.
Ultimate Crimson Mantra: Initiated. Special Effect(s): Level One Tremor Force.
‘There’s a special effect even at the Initiated level? Truly extraordinary.’
A surge of satisfaction rose within him. Steadying his breath, he calmed his mind and Qi until both body and spirit settled into complete stillness. Only then did he mentally press the Modifier’s button.
Swish
The Modifier flickered violently, shifting into its modifiable state.
‘Upgrade Ultimate Crimson Mantra to Level One.’
He had already committed the entire first level to memory. What concerned him now was whether his body could withstand the transformation.
With a soft chi, the Ultimate Crimson Mantra selection blurred briefly, then sharpened again.
Ultimate Crimson Mantra: Level One. Special Effects: Level One Tremor Force.
‘Success!.’ Lu Sheng’s heart surged with joy. At the same time, he felt his body undergoing rapid changes. More than half of his Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill reserves had been drained away, leaving only a pitiful residue. The Yin and Yang energies within him were wiped clean in an instant—who knew how long it would take to replenish them.
Most peculiar of all was the Blood Fury Skill. Its inner Qi was slowly, constantly being converted into Ultimate Crimson inner Qi to fuel the Ultimate Crimson Mantra. Though the conversion was slow, it offered an astonishingly endless stream of Qi.
‘Blood Fury Skill isn’t as complete as the Ultimate Crimson Mantra, and it carries unknown side effects. Since they’re all Yang-nature inner forces, it’s better this way. Saves me from future trouble.’
Lu Sheng remained composed, even resolute.
Around him, the greenhouse brimmed with tightly packed blossoms of vivid red and gold. The air was pure and refreshing.
Lu Sheng stood at the center, eyes closed, breathing steady, carefully sensing whether anything else within him had been depleted.
‘My body is still lacking Yin. Previously, Blood Fury Skill and the other body-tempering arts were kept in balance by Yin-Yang Attraction. Now that balance has collapsed. The Ultimate Crimson Heart is far stronger—and far more domineering—than Blood Fury Skill. Naturally, the old equilibrium couldn’t hold.’
Understanding dawned on him. Slowly, he drew a black jewelry case from his sleeve.
A soft plop sounded as he opened it. Inside lay a small curl of black hair.
‘Time to test it. The importance of Yin-Yang Attraction to me cannot be overstated. Without balancing my body, side effects will accumulate, affecting even my temperament. And when I upgrade future skills, I’ll need an even sturdier foundation of inner life-force.’
He had already made up his mind. This time, he would use the hair taken from Song Manor to extrapolate his life-force skill.
Biting lightly into his index finger, he let a drop of blood fall onto the lock of hair.
Szzzzzz!
White, mist-like vapor surged from the strand, instantly absorbed into Lu Sheng’s fingertip.
A chilling current rushed through him at once—flooding from his finger up his palm, coursing through his forearm and arm, sweeping across his chest, and finally plunging sharply into the pit of his diaphragm.
‘Such powerful Yin Qi!’ Lu Sheng was taken aback.
Yet in the very next heartbeat, every trace of that Yin Qi vanished—wiped clean as though something had devoured it whole.
‘Begin martial arts extrapolation?’
A dialogue box abruptly appeared before his eyes.
‘Yes!’
Lu Sheng confirmed without hesitation. Steadying his breath, he focused his mind entirely on Yin-Yang Attraction.
‘Extrapolate Yin-Yang Attraction to Level Four,’ he commanded silently. Yin-Yang Attraction originally had only two levels, but after his previous extrapolation, it had reached Level Three. Now, it was about to ascend to Level Four.
The Modifier frame shuddered violently, its edges blurring.
After more than ten seconds, the display cleared once again.
Unknown Skill: Level Four.
Special Effect(s): Accelerated Qi Replenishment, Yin-Yang Equilibrium, Accelerated Recuperation.
Lu Sheng examined the new skill carefully. It took the original Yin-Yang Attraction’s circulation path as its base, while absorbing a significant portion of the Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill’s meridians. At this moment, the new inner force was rapidly devouring all of Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill’s strength, converting it into its own Qi. Though the total amount of inner Qi was slightly less than the combined quantity of both previous skills, its purity far surpassed them.
If the earlier skills had felt like two soft, warm currents flowing gently within him, then this new force was like a stream of icy jade liquid—calm, flawless, and profoundly cold—circulating steadily through his body.
‘This new skill… it’s a transformed version of Yin-Yang Attraction fused with the Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill…’ Even Lu Sheng hadn’t expected such a result.
He turned his attention back to the Modifier’s list of martial arts. As expected, the entry for Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill had disappeared completely—swallowed whole by the newly formed technique.
In less than an hour, all of the inner Qi belonging to the Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill had been fully transformed into the new skill’s Qi. The energy surged through him in powerful, ceaseless waves, vigorous beyond comparison.
‘Since it has absorbed the essence of both skills… this new art shall be called Yin-Yang Jade Crane Skill,’ Lu Sheng decided without hesitation.
The Yin-Yang Jade Crane Skill had already surpassed the humble Jade Crane Skill by an overwhelming margin. It had evolved into an advanced life-force art—one far beyond anything Lu Sheng had expected.
As the new inner force drew upon the strengths of its predecessors and completed its transformation, Lu Sheng became keenly aware of the changes now taking root within his body.
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and then Add to home screen.