Chapter 119: Bright Essence Peak, A Challenge at the Doorstep

Chapter 119: Bright Essence Peak, A Challenge at the Doorstep

Zhao Zheng clenched his fist, feeling the surge of power within his body. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

As a Bright Essence Master, he now possessed a strength of a thousand jin!

This was no small feat. A single punch from him could easily be fatal to an ordinary person.

Of course, it was nothing compared to his true self's strength, which was measured in tons.

With over two thousand Spirit Energy Points remaining on his Attribute Panel, Zhao Zheng contemplated and decided to attempt to further elevate his realm.

When he selected the option to 'Elevate Realm', a new prompt appeared in his left eye:

"Current state does not meet the requirements for direct advancement to a higher realm. Consume 800 Spirit Energy Points to reach the 'Bright Essence Peak' realm. Proceed with advancement?"

"Yes/No?"

Zhao Zheng was momentarily taken aback by the prompt but quickly fell into deep thought.

He understood that he couldn't advance to a higher realm directly.

As his teacher had explained, to progress to the Dark Force, one must first master an Internal Martial Art.

However, he hadn't expected that even without advancing to a higher realm, he could still elevate his Bright Essence to its peak. Old Chu hadn't mentioned this.

Zhao Zheng wondered if Old Chu had simply forgotten.

Without further thought, Zhao Zheng chose to elevate his realm, knowing that only a fool would pass up an opportunity to enhance their strength.

The moment he made his choice, a surge of heat emanated from his Dantian, spreading throughout his entire body.

Instantly, Zhao Zheng felt his strength multiply, increasing by at least tenfold.

Previously, upon breaking through to the Bright Essence realm, his strength was around a thousand pounds.

Now, a single punch from Zhao Zheng would undoubtedly exceed two thousand pounds.

Aside from the increase in strength, his physique also underwent a transformation.

His original body, though accustomed to physical labor, appeared somewhat frail due to poor nutrition.

But now, with the infusion of spirit energy, his muscles rapidly grew stronger. He walked with a powerful stride, exuding an aura of dominance.

Zhao Zheng was pleased with his transformation.

He opened the package sent by Song Haitang once more to choose more martial arts techniques.

The Iron Shirt was a hardening exercise primarily used for defense.

He still needed some offensive techniques.

After some deliberation, Zhao Zheng selected two martial arts: the Cloud Chasing Steps and the Iron Sand Palm.

The Cloud Chasing Steps was a body movement technique that enhanced speed.

In martial arts battles, speed was crucial.

A well-known saying in the martial arts world was, "All under heaven, nothing is indestructible, except for speed."

In other words, as long as you were fast enough to avoid your opponent's attacks, you were invincible.

This highlighted the importance of speed.

The Iron Sand Palm, on the other hand, was a common yet extremely challenging palm technique to master.

Practicing the Iron Sand Palm required daily palm exercises with iron sand in a hot wok, enduring scorching temperatures that would be unbearable for most.

After training, one had to soak their palms in expensive medicinal liquids to alleviate fire toxins and prevent them from invading the internal organs.

As such, practicing the Iron Sand Palm was not only excruciating but also costly.

Additionally, innate talent played a significant role, as it was easy to succumb to fire toxins during practice, leading to fatal consequences.

Therefore, while the Iron Sand Palm was widely known, those who successfully mastered it were extremely rare.

However, once mastered, the Iron Sand Palm became an incredibly powerful technique. Each strike was ferocious and forceful, with astonishing might.

To put it simply, the Iron Sand Palm belonged to the Yang Martial Path. It didn't rely on intricate palm techniques but focused on channeling energy and mastering the art of exerting force.

In a phrase, it was like 'Overpowering Ten Techniques with One Force'!

Zhao Zheng favored this 'Power over Precision' approach. He had no interest in flashy or intricate moves.

Furthermore, the Iron Sand Palm was a type of hard qigong, complementing the Iron Shirt's defensive capabilities.

This was another reason Zhao Zheng chose to learn the Iron Sand Palm.

[100 Spirit Energy Points consumed. Successfully learned Iron Sand Palm. Current Iron Sand Palm level: Beginner.]



[Upgraded Iron Sand Palm successfully. 100 Spirit Energy Points consumed. Current Iron Sand Palm level: Skilled!]



[Upgraded Iron Sand Palm successfully. 200 Spirit Energy Points consumed. Current Iron Sand Palm level: Mastery!]



...

Zhao Zheng continued to upgrade his Iron Sand Palm until it reached the 'Supreme Mastery' level, and only then did he stop.

However, even after maxing out the Iron Sand Palm, no new prompts appeared.

It seemed that not all external martial arts could undergo a transformation like the Iron Shirt.

"Hmm? What's this...?"

Zhao Zheng suddenly noticed a burning sensation in the palm of his hand.

When he opened his hands to inspect them, he saw that his palms had turned bright red, as if scorched by fire, and were sweating profusely.

Following this sensation, a memory fragment about the Iron Sand Palm emerged in his mind.

The memory was straightforward, mainly detailing how to channel energy into the palms and the technique's method of exerting force.

His "Iron Sand Palm" technique had reached the level of supreme mastery, and he could now control it effortlessly, with no need for expensive medicinal baths to maintain his palms.

Suddenly, Zhao Zheng lifted his palm and gently placed it on the solid wooden table beside him. With a slight exertion of force...

"Puff!"

The table trembled!

As Zhao Zheng lifted his palm, a clear palm print appeared on the table's surface.

Witnessing this, Zhao Zheng couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. He had only used a fraction of his strength for that strike.

The effect was remarkable.

Zhao Zheng gazed at his palms, and with a thought, his blood and energy flowed back, instantly restoring his palms to normal.

Those who regularly practice the Iron Sand Palm technique inevitably develop calluses on their palms. As their cultivation level increases, their palms may even turn black, as if poisoned, eventually transforming into inhuman hands.

Zhao Zheng's palms, however, were rosy, and no one would believe that he had mastered the supreme Iron Sand Palm technique.

...

At this moment, Zhao Zheng's attribute panel showed only about six hundred spirit energy points remaining.

He decided to continue learning the "Cloud Chasing Steps" technique.

Of course, he knew he couldn't reach the maximum level.

After a short while, Zhao Zheng's attributes changed as follows:

Name: Zhao Shanhe (Zhao Zheng)



Age: 19

Martial Arts: Dragon Roar Iron Shirt (Supreme Mastery), Iron Sand Palm (Supreme Mastery), Cloud Chasing Steps (Proficient)



Current Realm: Peak Clear Energy

Current Martial Arts Points: 0

Available Spirit Energy Points: 267

...

These were Zhao Zheng's current attributes.

At the peak of the Clear Energy realm, with two supreme-level martial arts and one body technique...

To be honest, with this setup, no one but a Dark Force master could possibly defeat Zhao Zheng.

"Most Extraordinary Beings are still racking their brains to obtain martial arts manuals, right?"

"But I've already reached the peak of Clear Energy, and I possess defense, strength, and speed techniques..."

"With such a high starting point, who else could surpass me?"

Glancing at his pocket watch, a gift from Song Haitang, he noted the time—around 3:30 pm.

It was still early, and the sun hadn't set yet.

Zhao Zheng decided to go out and earn some Martial Arts Points.

On the street, Zhao Zheng noticed that his perception had significantly improved.

It wasn't as strong as his original body's, but it was far superior to his previous ordinary state.

This was clearly a sensory enhancement from his cultivation realm.

At that moment, Zhao Zheng sensed someone following him at a short distance.

With a faint smile, he strode confidently into an alley.

The group of five people tailing him immediately surrounded him as he entered the alley.

The leader, a man with a scarred face, spoke up, "Zhao Shanhe, I heard you've struck it rich and moved into the Full of Blessings Tower?"

A short man on the left stared at Zhao Zheng and sneered, "You got rich and didn't even inform Boss Cao. Are you looking down on us?"

'Boss Cao' was the scarred man.

Zhao Zheng was slightly surprised to see these people.

He had assumed that the Song Family was after him, sent to silence him to protect the reputation of the Song Young Mistress.

But it turned out to be this group.

Through the original owner's memories, Zhao Zheng quickly learned about the scarred man.

He was a small-time leader of the Sha He Gang, primarily responsible for managing the "Semi-Closed Doors" in the city and some of the gang's "Piglets."

"Semi-Closed Doors" referred to the prostitutes in the dark alleys.

The women involved were usually those discarded from brothels due to age and declining beauty.

As for the "Piglets," they were people who had sold themselves to the Sha He Gang.

These people were even lower than the gang's outer members, merely tools for making money.

Unfortunately, Zhao Zheng's predecessor, Zhao Shanhe, was one of these "Piglets."

He worked as a helper in a rice mill, and most of his wages went to the Sha He Gang.

From the memories in his body, Zhao Zheng learned that Zhao Shanhe wasn't originally from this city. He had become a "Piglet" for the Sha He Gang due to a gambling-addicted cousin who tricked him into signing a contract.

He had unknowingly signed away his life.

Thinking of the Sha He Gang, Zhao Zheng had an idea!

The gang leader was a skilled martial artist with formidable strength.

Without exceptional abilities, one couldn't hold the position of gang leader.

Since Zhao Zheng wanted to find someone to test his skills against, he decided to start with the Sha He Gang!

If he could eliminate the Sha He Gang, it would be a way to avenge his predecessor and rid the city of a menace!

The Sha He Gang was notorious on the docks, having committed countless misdeeds.

"Damn it! I'm talking to you, old man!"

Seeing that the short man didn't respond, Zhao Zheng's patience wore thin, and he shouted, "You dare ignore me? Do you want to die?"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Zhao Zheng's collar.

But Zhao Zheng was faster.

In an instant, Zhao Zheng seized the man's wrist and applied a slight force.

Crack!

The short man's wrist was broken by Zhao Zheng.

"Ahh!"

The short man screamed in pain and rolled on the ground.

The sudden turn of events startled the others.

No one expected a piglet like him to dare to resist.

"Why are you still standing there?"

The scar-faced man roared, "Get rid of him!"

Hearing the order, the three men reflexively rushed towards Zhao Zheng.

However, they were just ordinary thugs with no real martial arts skills.

Zhao Zheng raised his hand and with a sweeping motion, he sent all three men flying.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

They were truly sent flying! With Zhao Zheng's current strength, even holding back, ordinary people couldn't withstand his force.

The three men flew backward, hitting the opposite wall before falling to the ground.

And after they landed, they couldn't get up again.

...

With just one move, Zhao Zheng had taken out three of his men.

The scar-faced man was completely stunned.

In his memory, Zhao Shanhe was just a country bumpkin from the village. Although tall, he had a timid personality, and even those shorter than him could easily bully him.

Unexpectedly, this young man possessed such formidable martial arts skills.

The scar-faced man couldn't understand why a martial artist would willingly work as a piglet for the Sha He Gang.

At this moment, he didn't have the mind to think further.

He knew that if he didn't run now, he would be finished today.

So, without another word, the scar-faced man turned and fled.

But!

Zhao Zheng took a few quick steps and blocked the scar-faced man's path, standing before him.

Like a ghost!

This was the power of the Cloud Chasing Steps.

"Did I say you could leave?" Zhao Zheng said calmly.

Hearing his voice and seeing his cold expression, the scar-faced man immediately knelt down.

"Zhao... Zhao, spare me..."

"Spare you? Whether you live or die today depends on how cooperative you are from now on."

As Zhao Zheng spoke, he grabbed the scar-faced man's shoulder.

Intense pain surged through the scar-faced man, but he dared not resist.

He knew that his meager skills were like dog poop compared to a true martial artist.

...

At the pier, in a dimly lit room, a group of opium addicts lay on the floor, smoking.

With each puff, these addicts revealed extremely pleased expressions, as if they were in heaven.

Witnessing this scene, a middle-aged man with a fierce aura at the entrance couldn't help but laugh. "The foreigners' opium is so good! Can we get more of it?"

Hearing the question, a bespectacled subordinate in a Western suit immediately replied, "Gang Leader, opium is in high demand right now. All the piers are struggling to keep up with the supply. If we want more, it might be a bit difficult."

"Difficult?" The leader of the Sha He Gang coldly hummed. "I don't care how you do it, but you must ensure a sufficient supply of goods here!"

The subordinate was a fake Westerner wearing glasses and a suit.

Hearing the leader's words, he nodded and said, "Gang Leader, I've heard that many foreigners are interested in Eastern women. If you can find a way to get fresh women, I might be able to exchange them for opium and even save on silver."

The gang leader said, "That's easy! This place lacks everything but people."

"Then I'll await your good news, Gang Leader." The fake Westerner smiled.

The gang leader nodded.

At that moment, an efficient subordinate approached and whispered something to the gang leader.

The gang leader's expression changed, and he instructed, "Take them to the Martial Hall!"

A moment later, the gang leader and his men arrived at the Martial Hall.

This Martial Hall was where the gang leader usually practiced martial arts, and it was fully equipped with various weapons.

As they entered, the gang leader's face darkened.

A bald youth was sitting in the gang leader's seat, and the scar-faced man was kneeling before him, looking as meek as a dog.

The scar-faced man and the gang leader were actually relatives.

The scar-faced man's sister had married the gang leader as a concubine, making the scar-faced man the gang leader's brother-in-law.

Otherwise, the gang leader wouldn't have given such a lucrative position to the scar-faced man.

"You're asking for death!"

The gang leader snorted and rushed towards Zhao Zheng, who was sitting in his seat.

(PS: Thank you to 'Pockmarked Brother' for your generous support! I greatly appreciate it!)



(End of Chapter)

Chapter end