Chapter 29

Qin Jiang roared in his mind. This time, he didn't even summon the panel.

【Iron Arm Fist (Second Layer) (22/300), Experience +300】

【Iron Arm Fist (Second Layer) advanced to Iron Arm Fist (Third Layer)】

【Iron Arm Fist (Third Layer) (22/400)】

【Potential Points: 6.4】

A tingling, itchy sensation spread from all over his body. His arms recovered to their original state in the blink of an eye and then became even tougher; the bone fractures in his chest were also rapidly repairing.

Also improving was his physical strength; although not as drastically as his arms, it had increased by more than fifty percent.

Mid-air, Qin Jiang suddenly thrust his left arm into the ground, plowing a shallow trench as he exerted force, causing his body to suddenly slide in an arc.

Whoosh! Li Songzheng's figure crashed past him, leaving a human-shaped hole directly in the courtyard wall.

One could imagine how outrageous the force of that strike was! If it had hit him, he would likely have broken a few more bones.

Whoosh—! Li Songzheng's figure returned. His arms spread out, his hands transformed into eagle claws, and he lunged at Qin Jiang with his whole body!

Without any hesitation, Qin Jiang reached his right hand into his pocket, pulled out several fire thunders, and threw them at Li Songzheng, while simultaneously throwing a smoke bomb at his feet.

Boom, boom, boom!!! A series of explosions rang out. Firelight dispersed along with thick gray fog. Li Songzheng's body energy surged, and he dispersed the gray fog in a single breath.

But by this time, Qin Jiang's figure was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a few dirt pits in the courtyard blasted by the fire thunders.

"Bastard! Someone! Find him for me!"

He shouted angrily, his voice piercing through the courtyard wall. The servants and guards outside heard him and immediately took action.

The mage walked out at this moment, his expression calm, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Family Head Li, does this humble Daoist need to take action? Just add twenty more offerings."

Upon hearing this, Li Songzheng's eyelids twitched. Suppressing his anger, he thought, Not enough?! You want more?! "No need! A mere petty thief, I can catch him back in less than a moment!"

A moment later, a guard led a team of people into the courtyard.

Li Songzheng's face was cold and stern, carrying a hint of irritation. "Where is he?"

The leading guard shook his head. "Master, we didn't find him. We've searched the entire courtyard once."

Li Songzheng's face tightened upon hearing this. He took a long breath to calm his mood. "I see. Go down; have someone repair the courtyard wall tomorrow."

"Does Family Head Li really not want to consider it?" the mage asked.

Li Songzheng had intended to leave, but stopped in his tracks upon hearing the mage's words.

After pondering for a moment, "Mage, feel free to try. If you can't find him, it doesn't count."

He didn't know if that person in black had seen the true form of this group of stinking rats. If they had, although it wasn't a major problem, it would still take some effort to deal with.

With the national war about to begin, demons entering the city was nothing major.

As for the sacrifice, it was merely a hundred lives of commoners; what did that count for? Countless refugees had already died outside the city! Who would care?

"Naturally."

The mage replied, then lightly shook the copper bell in his hand.

Ding-a-ling~~ A crisp bell sound rang out, and an invisible ripple dispersed.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the mage opened his eyes with some confusion.

Seeing this, Li Songzheng gave a disdainful smile. I thought how powerful he was? "Since that's the case, this Family Head will take his leave."

Turning to leave, a trace of murderous intent surfaced in the depths of his eyes. A group of stinking rats, once I get the resurrection medicine, you will all die!

The mage stood where he was. Just a moment ago, his bell sound had covered a radius of five hundred meters. Was that petty thief's escape skill really that good? On the edge of the South City, the soil and rocks on the ground trembled slightly.

After a few seconds, an arm flipped out from under the soil, and then a person in black crawled out from the ground.

Phew~ Qin Jiang let out a long breath, carrying a trace of relaxation from surviving a disaster.

At the time, after using the smoke bomb, he had intended to climb the wall and leave, but who knew that Li Songzheng's strength was so perversely strong that he would disperse the smoke in the blink of an eye. Between life and death, suddenly inspired, he directly mobilized the Earth Dragon Body internal Qi within his flesh and blood and drilled into the dirt pit blasted by the fire thunders.

Once beneath the ground, he was like a fish in water. The soil not only caused no obstruction but instead became his aid, which allowed him to escape alive.

Regulating the restless internal Qi in his body, it took a full quarter of an hour to recover.

He recalled the moment he faced Li Songzheng just now; that feeling was completely different from the day he dealt with those two Fox Spirits.

Although both were life-and-death crises, when facing Li Songzheng, he clearly had a feeling of being unable to compete, and the pressure brought by it was by no means comparable to that Fox Spirit.

Shaking his head slightly, he had been too careless. After becoming a true martial artist, his mindset had changed, becoming somewhat inflated.

It was just that he really hadn't expected this Li Yuanwai, who looked like a waste, to have such terrifying martial cultivation.

With that kind of strength, even if he practiced the Iron Arm Fist to the third layer, he would absolutely be unable to contend with him! Above martial arts like the Iron Arm Fist, there must be even stronger martial arts! He should have thought of it earlier; that Red Blood Golden Spear was so heavy that if he were to use it, it could only be treated as a body-refining weapon.

But Commandant Long could use it to fight, and the gap between them was immeasurable.

At this thought, an inexplicable irritability surged into his heart, and he clenched his fists slightly.

Looking at the bright moon in the sky, I am still too weak.

The next morning, Qin Jiang arrived early at Wang Minglang's residence. At this time, several people were already practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

These days, they had also been stimulated by Qin Jiang. Seeing with their own eyes a newly initiated disciple surpassing them step by step, except for a few, the rest had an unprecedentedly high enthusiasm for practicing.

Knock, knock.

Qin Jiang knocked on Wang Minglang's wooden door. A somewhat impatient voice came from inside, carrying a bit of sleepiness. "Who is it?"

"Uncle Wang, it's me." Qin Jiang replied.

Creak~ The wooden door opened automatically. "Come in."

Qin Jiang walked into the room and looked toward the bed. He saw Wang Minglang just putting on his jacket, still holding a rope in his hand, the other end of which was connected to the wooden door.

"Sit down. Why are you here so early?"

Wang Minglang picked up the smoking pipe by the bedside and lit it. After taking a puff, he felt much more energetic.

He stood up, washed his face, and wiped the water stains off his face casually with his sleeve.

After he sat down, Qin Jiang asked, "Uncle Wang, is the gap in strength between martial artists very large?"

Wang Minglang looked at Qin Jiang with some surprise. "Isn't that normal? Not to mention anything else, just look at those practicing outside; which one of them can take three punches or five kicks from you?"

Qin Jiang shook his head. "I mean, after practicing the Iron Arm Fist to the third layer, will there be people who can crush me in all aspects?"

His voice was somewhat hurried, with a feeling of urgently wanting to know.

Upon hearing this, Wang Minglang stopped smoking his pipe, placed it on the table, and looked Qin Jiang up and down with a smile.

"Did you encounter one?"

Qin Jiang raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded heavily.

Wang Minglang had an "as expected" look and nodded slightly. "People stronger than the third layer of the Iron Arm Fist exist, and there are not a few."

He picked up the smoking pipe, tapped it on the table, and gently dusted off the ash. "The Five Animal Frolics you practiced before, including some scattered techniques practiced by most people, are actually all low-grade stuff.

Even the Iron Arm Fist can only be considered the most ordinary True Martial Art. Even if practiced to the third layer, it is at most a second-rate expert.

And in the Inner City, there are first-rate experts and even Grandmaster-level figures, and there are no fewer than twenty or thirty of them."

Qin Jiang's eyes widened in shock. "Twenty or thirty people?! So many?!"

Like that pervert Li Songzheng, are there really twenty or thirty people like that? "Then what martial arts do they practice?" he asked hurriedly.

Wang Minglang smiled. "Naturally, it's Advanced True Martial Arts. Like the Red Tiger Fist of the Red Tiger Gang, the Crane Flame Palm of the County Magistrate's house, and the old-established families of Black Mountain City all have Advanced True Martial Arts as their trump cards."

(End of this chapter)