Chapter 71

Wei He broke through.

And it was to the third level of Qi and Blood!

When this guess was personally confirmed by Master Zheng, the few people in the inner courtyard woke up as if from a dream, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.

Unfortunately, reality is not an illusion, but the truth. No matter how unbelievable it is, the fact remains the fact.

Zheng Fugui fought Wei He with Iron Skin, and the two exchanged dozens of lightning-fast moves, neither gaining the upper hand.

The mere shock waves of their energy forced the four people around them to step back.

Now it was quiet.

Zheng Fugui stood in the center of the inner courtyard, his face full of smiles, like an old chrysanthemum in full bloom, his wrinkled face seemingly rejuvenated, filled with joy and satisfaction.

He folded his hands behind his back and looked at Wei He, who stood respectfully opposite him, finding him more and more satisfactory.

If it weren't for the fact that he already had a grandson, he might have considered finding a son-in-law right now.

Wei He stood in place, his face calm. At this moment, he retracted his energy and returned to his original state.

He looked as if his Qi and Blood were dormant, showing no difference from before, making it impossible to tell that he had reached the third level of Qi and Blood, the Iron Skin level.

"Disciple just broke through and promptly came to report to Master. Recently, when my Qi and Blood improved, Master Zheng was busy, so I couldn't report in time.

Yesterday, while recalling the fundamental diagram, I suddenly had a feeling. With the surge of Qi and Blood, I hurriedly practiced, and indeed, with one push, I completely broke through the shackles..."

Wei He began to describe in detail how he had been working hard and practicing diligently, emphasizing his steady and determined progress.

He knew that Master Zheng most appreciated a solid foundation.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zheng Fugui became even happier.

"Good! Very good!" He pinched his beard, inadvertently pulling out a few strands, but didn't even notice.

"In the outer city, the reason my Hui Mountain Fist is always weaker than others is because everyone says I can't teach a true third-level Qi and Blood expert. But now... now it's different!"

Recalling the past, he felt that all the frustration and fatigue of before had vanished as if he had taken a hot bath.

"Now that you've just broken through, you can already match me with half my strength. It seems I don't need to worry about your practical skills. Today, you should go back and rest. For the next few days, try not to use your strength, and focus on adjusting your body, letting the transformed Qi and Blood reshape you."

He gave detailed instructions.

"Disciple understands." Wei He nodded.

In fact, he had only used Hui Mountain Fist just now, not anything else, for fear that Master Zheng would see through his true strength.

Master Zheng only used half his strength, and Wei He also only used half his strength.

After all, if he added the Five Ridges Palm and Flying Dragon Technique, the intertwined and layered energy would explode with more than double the power.

However, Wei He also knew that Master Zheng's old age and declining strength did not represent the average level of an Energy-Infused Martial Artist.

After a series of free compliments, Zheng Fugui waved his hand and directly gave Wei He a large pile of rewards.

He didn't explain what was inside, just told Wei He to take it back and look at it himself.

Then, Zheng Fugui, in a state of wild joy, ran off, not knowing what he was going to do. Judging from his appearance, he was either going to show off or had already shown off.

With the addition of a third-level Qi and Blood expert, the Hui Mountain Fist Academy's foundation and deterrent power had taken a significant step forward.

This provided more support for the safety of all the academy's disciples.

Before provoking the Hui Mountain Fist, others would have to consider the potential danger.

Most importantly, the Hui Mountain Fist was no longer in a state of stagnation, with no hope of succession.

The remaining four people in the inner courtyard looked at Wei He, who had received the big gift, each with a complex expression.

Jiang Yan, who had been momentarily stunned earlier, now came to his senses and stared at Wei He for a long time.

Recalling the earlier attempt to recruit Wei He, which was rejected, he felt a bit stifled and uncomfortable.

He thought that if he had invested more effort at the time, he might have already tied Wei He to his own chariot.

A third-level Qi and Blood expert as strong as his father! This is third-level Qi and Blood...

Among the young martial geniuses of Feiye City, all were striving to reach this level.

But the breakthroughs were few and far between.

Once this level is crossed, it means power, wealth, and enjoyment, all within reach.

Major forces would pay a high price to recruit experts at this level.

If Jiang Yan could reach the third level of Qi and Blood, he could have an equal status with his father in the family. At the clan meeting, he could speak up and have a voice.

After all, in the Jiang family, only the patriarch was an Energy-Infused Martial Artist, and there were only three third-level Qi and Blood experts, one of whom was his father.

The key was that his father, Jiang Donggui, had more than one child... and he had four other siblings who were at the second level of Qi and Blood...

The second level of Qi and Blood is still considered an expert by ordinary people, but in the inner city, where large amounts of exotic meat are piled up, they are truly common.

Among the Seven Families' disciples, many who practice martial arts are at this level.

Reaching the third level of Qi and Blood is not just a matter of resources. It also requires insight, bone structure, and perseverance.

All are essential.

Moreover, Jiang Yan was well aware that in the past ten years, all the third-level Qi and Blood experts among the young generation had come from the outer city's Martial Artist Academy.

In the inner city, there was not a single one.

This was the false prosperity built on resources and experience.

Some things cannot be achieved through external means alone.

The more one relies on resources and experience to break through the second level of Qi and Blood, the harder it is to break through to the third level.

"..." Jiang Yan felt a faint bitterness in his heart. He knew very well that he was jealous.

Why should he, with a large amount of exotic meat and daily guidance from his father, still be unable to break through?

Unfortunately, no matter how he felt, the fact that Wei He had broken through was already a reality.

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and looked at the others.

Eldest Senior Brother Zhao Hong remained silent. After Master Zheng left, he continued to practice for a while and then quietly left.

He didn't speak to anyone, but it was clear that he had been deeply affected. After all, he had watched Wei He be recruited and had seen him make rapid progress over the past nearly three years, seemingly ordinary but actually very steady.

Zhang Lu didn't seem to care much. He and Wei He had little interaction, and even if Wei He hadn't broken through, he would still be his senior brother. Now, he was just a more powerful senior brother.

He went up to congratulate him, and his emotions were normal.

This young man clearly didn't understand what a third-level Qi and Blood expert meant and hadn't experienced the pain of failing to break through.

Back in the day, Xiao Ran failed to break through twice, and his once lofty ambitions were shattered by reality. Only then did he understand the hardships of life.

After Master Zheng left, Wei He continued to practice Hui Mountain Fist in the inner courtyard as usual.

Watching Eldest Senior Brother's practice just now, he had some new insights, so he was now consolidating them.

It was almost noon.

He changed his clothes, wiped the sweat off, and was about to leave.

"Want to take a walk together?" Jiang Su suddenly spoke from behind him.

Wei He paused and then nodded.

"Sure."

Their relationship was somewhat complicated. Although Jiang Su had recently gone for a physical examination to prove her innocence, she had still hurt many of her suitors. But now she didn't care about these trivial matters.

The two left the Hui Mountain Fist Academy, not going to a restaurant or anything, but just strolling along the Feiye River near the academy.

Walking along the spacious street by the river, they slowly took a walk.

After the heavy rain, the Feiye River was flowing rapidly, and there were a few people fishing, catching shrimp, and gathering water plants.

The heavy rain seemed to have brought a bit of vitality back to the outer city.

Jiang Su was dressed in a gray-black, form-fitting outfit, with long pants, a short skirt, arm guards, and knee guards, all in gray-black, which accentuated her figure while concealing her prominent muscle lines.

Compared to before, her chest seemed more prominent, but her long hair had been cut short, just to her shoulders.

With her black hair, black clothes, black eyes, and the well-toned figure from long-term training, she would definitely attract many gazes in peacetime.

Unfortunately, the occasional passersby were busy looking for food by the river and had no time to appreciate her beauty.

Walking along the Feiye River, Jiang Su looked at the distant, shimmering river surface and saw someone excitedly pulling out a large bunch of water plants to take home and eat.

"Wei He, what if..." She wanted to say something but stopped mid-sentence.

She actually wanted to say that if they had met earlier, perhaps... the outcome would have been different. But upon careful thought, at that time, she hadn't experienced the Xiao Ran incident and wouldn't have had the current insights and understanding.

She wouldn't have become so mature.

"At that time, you were just a beginner, looking a bit dazed and wooden." Jiang Su turned to look at Wei He, a slight smile on her lips.

"Is that so? What were you going to say just now?" Wei He asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, just some thoughts. Three years, a complete transformation, no one expected that the first to break through in Hui Mountain Fist would be you." Jiang Su said solemnly.

"I didn't expect it either." Wei He nodded. He admired Jiang Su's figure as she walked a bit ahead, but of course, it was just admiration; Jiang Su wasn't his type.

And in this chaotic era, it was far from the time to settle down and live a peaceful life.

"You're different now, a big shot." Jiang Su laughed, teasing him.

This wasn't entirely a joke; the status of a third-level Qi and Blood expert was highly valued in the major forces of Feiye City.

After all, a third-level Qi and Blood expert has formidable mobility and killing power. If they were assassins, even a wealthy and powerful family like the Guan family would be helpless against Chen Jun for years, only able to let him continue his assassinations.

After all, the Guan family, aside from lacking third-level Qi and Blood experts, also had many second-level Qi and Blood experts.

But the difference between third and second level, though only one level, is vast.

It could be said that now, as long as Wei He didn't make a fatal mistake, he would never lack money or beauty, and could join any major force without worry.

"Big shot or not, it's still early. In this world, who can predict the future?" Wei He smiled. "I just want peace."

"You'll be fine. In Feiye City, unless it's a mortal enemy, experts like you are usually defeated but not killed. After all, it takes years to produce one, and they are too rare. From now on, you and we are on different levels." Jiang Su said seriously.

"Do you know why I chose to practice martial arts? Why I worked so hard to break through? Why I practiced Hui Mountain Fist, which is somewhat detrimental to the body?"