Chapter 22: Answer me

「After just half a month after opening the meridians, I opened the Qi Sea and entered the Second Realm; in between, I even spent two days learning a martial technique—is this the Linglong Treasure Body? 」

In the Murong Family Manor, Murong Tian's pupils constricted slightly, the teacup in his hand hanging in midair, obviously shocked by this news.

Half a month ago, Murong Wan succeeded in opening the meridians.

Generally, after a martial artist opens the meridians, they will spend anywhere from one to several months consolidating the meridians before beginning cultivation.

It's not hard to cultivate true qi after opening the meridians, but to enter the Second Realm, one needs enough true qi to open the Qi Sea in one go.

This process takes a considerable amount of time, depending on many factors.

Like Murong Tian, who had sufficient resources, it took him a full eight months to open the Qi Sea.

If it's an ordinary martial artist, the time becomes long—often one or two years, or even longer.

Even if only using Dark Energy to cultivate, the amount of Dark Energy needed to open the Qi Sea is a huge sum for ordinary people.

But what about Murong Wan?

She only used fifteen days.

During this period, because the Shadow Clan suddenly appeared, Murong Zhan personally guided her to spend two days learning a body technique for self-defense.

Although she only learned the first stage, learning it in just two days is still unbelievable.

In other words, the actual time Murong Wan used to open the Qi Sea was only thirteen days!

Thirteen days!

Even if Murong Wan cultivated without regard for resource consumption, this number is still astonishingly high.

"Aren't the Shadow Clan supposed to be assassinating geniuses? Why leave such a monstrous genius unattended?"

Murong Tian now especially hopes that the Shadow Clan will suddenly appear and kill Murong Wan.

Otherwise, their branch likely will never have a day to rise.

On the other hand, Lu Xun's tenfold return has finally ended.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging true qi within his body, and murmured softly: "Third layer of the Qi Sea... If my Qi Sea weren't naturally several times larger than others, this wave of return should have pushed me to above the fifth layer, right?"

"Meow~"

The sudden meow of the little cat in his arms pulled his thoughts back to reality.

"Whoosh~"

A crossbow bolt shot out from the side.

Lu Xun moved like a startled rabbit; with a single motion, he dodged the crossbow bolt.

His eyes shone like stars, and he instantly locked onto the attacker.

That was a masked martial artist in form-fitting attire, who had already closed to within less than twenty meters of him.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh"

Several arrows came in succession.

"Give it my all!"

Lu Xun threw the little cat from his arms, and his whole body vanished from the spot.

He didn't flee again; instead, he actively charged at the masked martial artist.

This wasn't reckless.

Rather, he had sufficient confidence.

After breaking through the third layer of the Qi Sea, when this masked martial artist went all out, Lu Xun faintly sensed his strength.

The masked martial artist is also in the Second Realm, definitely not having reached the Third Realm.

Otherwise, Lu Xun wouldn't have had the chance to survive until now.

Everyone is in the Second Realm—who's afraid of whom?

Don't look at Lu Xun only having the third layer of the Qi Sea; his body refinement is at the twenty-fourth stage, giving him an enormous advantage in the Qi Sea Realm.

Plus, his Qi Sea is larger; even if the opponent is at the peak of the Qi Sea Realm, even if he can't win, he can still escape in time.

Several crossbow bolts were dodged in succession by Lu Xun; he clenched his fists and boldly charged forward.

The masked martial artist threw away his martial crossbow, drew his battle blade, and moved to avoid Lu Xun, who was charging head-on.

Unexpectedly, Lu Xun feinted with a spear, and his person already appeared beside him using the Myriad Traces Step, his fist as large as a sandbag smashing toward the masked martial artist.

The masked martial artist's reaction was not slow; his battle blade, following the momentum, changed direction and sliced Lu Xun in half with one strike.

"Hum~"

The next second, a fist larger than a sandbag slammed into his head, the terrifying force making it feel as if a nuclear bomb had exploded in his mind.

At the same time, the Lu Xun he had slashed turned into shattered afterimages.

That was actually Lu Xun's afterimage.

"How could this be!"

The masked martial artist's eyes narrowed, instantly filling with blood-red.

Lu Xun's punch was too terrifying.

The masked martial artist swung his battle blade, trying to force Lu Xun back.

But after suffering heavy damage to his head, the masked martial artist's combat power greatly diminished; Lu Xun easily dodged and then immediately closed in using the Myriad Traces Step.

"Boom!"

The masked martial artist suffered another heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"With just this level of skill, you dare come to kill me?"

Just one minute later, Lu Xun stepped on him with his foot, pinning him to the ground.

The masked martial artist had already been subdued by him, with no strength left to resist.

Lu Xun pulled off the mask covering his face in one motion.

What appeared was an unfamiliar face.

"Not a Shadow Clan member, after all." Lu Xun narrowed his eyes, his voice gradually turning harsh: "Humans really are the species that loves to kill each other the most. Come on, I bear you no grudge—why do you want to kill me?"

Answer me!

The last three words exploded like a thunderclap, shaking the severely wounded masked man so his whole body shuddered.

A misunderstanding, this is a misunderstanding.

The masked man stammered in defense: "I wanted to kill a first-realm student who looks a bit like you; coincidentally he also came to the Heroes' Cemetery today, and I mistook you for him."

"Oh?" Lu Xun crouched down, grabbed the other's collar, "The student you wanted to kill—is his name Lu Xun?"

Yes, it's Lu Xun.

"What a coincidence," Lu Xun grinned, revealing his stark white teeth, "I am Lu Xun."

What?

The masked warrior's bloodshot eyes widened to round, his voice changing tone: "How is it possible? Lu Xun just opened his meridians half a month ago; you now have at least the fifth layer of Sea of Qi strength—this is impossible!"

He refused to believe it.

Not only him—anyone would likely find it hard to believe.

"That's not the point; the point is why you want to kill me. Since you mistook someone, it shows we're strangers, and I have no grudge with you, so someone must have sent you."

Speak up, who exactly sent you?

Answer me!

Lu Xun began speaking calmly, but the last three words rose in pitch again, like a thunderclap from flat ground.

The masked warrior shuddered again in fright.

This way of speaking was truly too stimulating for him.

I don't know either.

Perhaps fearing Lu Xun would come again, and with his life in Lu Xun's hands, the masked warrior decided to confess.

Lu Xun's gaze turned cold: "Are you playing with me?"

"No, I do it to earn Dark Energy; occasionally I moonlight as an assassin. This mission was one I took on the dark web; the client offered a high price—as much as five thousand units of Dark Energy."

"You've opened the Heaven Earth Meridian; ordinary people fear being investigated and wouldn't take such a job, but I'm short on money, so I took it."

The masked warrior hurried to explain, speaking quickly.