Chapter 23

"Third Stage of Heaven."

Chen Mu reported one stage lower.

He had only just broken through to Warrior recently—if he told the truth, he wouldn't be just a genius, but a monster.

Even so, upon hearing this, Huang Feiyang's mouth opened wide again, his face filled with shock.

Third Stage of Heaven!

How little time has passed, and he's already at Third Stage of Heaven!

"A genius..."

Huang Feiyang's expression dazed, murmuring as if in a dream, "Is this what a genius is?"

"..." Chen Mu's lips moved slightly; he cleared his throat and said, "Brother, if you have any questions about practicing the Rolling Cloud Art, you can ask me."

"... That goes without saying."

Huang Feiyang took a deep breath, rubbed his face with both hands to calm himself, "But not tonight—I need to find Brother Xie. As you said, this is a great chance to seize territory!"

"Hu Zi, stay home and watch things. I expect to return only at dawn."

"Go ahead." Chen Mu nodded. "On your way there, remember to bring a few men."

"Don't worry."

Huang Feiyang, already turned around, raised his hand and walked off quickly.

Chen Mu watched his back vanish at the gate; in his hand, a card flashed into existence.

The last Inner Power card!

He used it immediately; the card turned into a stream of light and drilled into his body, the sudden surge of Inner Power setting the Rolling Cloud Art into motion.

Soon, the energy was fully absorbed.

Two months' worth of Inner Power could not push the Rolling Cloud Art to break through to Fifth Stage of Heaven.

Chen Mu estimated he'd need at least ten months' worth of cultivation to break through.

Inner Power cards need not be stored.

Cultivation cards, however, could be temporarily kept.

Chen Mu had already experienced the Peak Mastery ability of the Spirit Snake Step.

His current goal was to raise the Shatter Gold Palm, a combat technique, to Peak Mastery as well.

Yet, a two-year cultivation card was clearly insufficient.

It would take at least five, even six years, to advance from the Perfect Mastery realm to Peak Mastery!

The conflict Chen Mu had orchestrated between the Green Snake Gang and the Blood Wolf Gang—two gangs that had just fought days ago—erupted again, inflicting heavy losses.

Both sides lost several major bosses.

Under these circumstances, the Big Knife Gang seized the opportunity to expand territory, and their plan progressed smoothly.

The Green Snake Gang and Blood Wolf Gang retreated rapidly with little resistance.

Throughout the entire process, only three men died in battle.

Chen Mu casually picked up three cards: an Energy card, a Stamina card, and a Strength card.

No Inner Power card, nor Skill card.

Chen Mu had anticipated this.

Compared to the three cards, the expansion of his pickup range was what truly delighted him.

Sixteen meters!

After breaking through to Fourth Stage of Heaven, his pickup range expanded to sixteen meters!

At this distance, he could pick up cards even through walls.

But corpses aren't something you find every day.

The Green Snake Gang and Blood Wolf Gang, having fought continuously and suffered heavy casualties, both chose to retreat and hoard.

After seizing the territory, the Big Knife Gang also pulled back, not pressing further.

Forcing the Green Snake and Blood Wolf gangs to unite and attack the Big Knife Gang would be more trouble than it was worth.

Chen Mu also stopped impersonating "Wu Sihai."

Fourth Stage of Heaven was still a low-level Warrior.

Not even Sun Jindong, let alone the leaders of several gangs, were within his reach—he could only flee if he encountered them.

Thus.

Chen Mu resumed strolling the streets, visiting the outskirts' graveyard every three days.

The cards he collected were few and far between.

One day.

Chen Mu returned to the city from the western suburbs; as he passed down a street, a commotion suddenly erupted ahead.

'Are there martial artists fighting in the street?'

Chen Mu's eyes lit up; he quickened his pace and ran over.

Pushing through the crowd, he heard the chatter and realized it wasn't that.

The source of the commotion was a finely dressed Young Master blocking a young woman, refusing to let her go.

"The Guo family is truly tyrannical. The Li family's Young Lady clearly said she dislikes him, yet he still won't leave her alone."

"Heh, who cares? The Li family is no match for the Guo family. Besides, this Guo Jinlun is the direct heir of the Guo family—even if he's only the fifth son, with mediocre martial cultivation and a spoiled nature, the Li family can't afford to offend him."

"Can't be helped. After all, the guy was just born lucky—born into the right family."

"……"

The surrounding crowd murmured in low discussion.

Chen Mu listened, his expression calm as he looked toward the street, where a slick, handsome young man with a lecherous gaze had blocked a pretty young woman, bantering with her nonstop.

The Guo family's Fifth Young Master, Guo Jinlun?

Indeed, there weren't many people who could afford to provoke him.

Only because the Guo family was one of the three great clans of Nanyun Prefecture!

This was a martial arts family with over a hundred years of inheritance, with more than one Innate Realm expert within the clan.

As a member of the Guo family, wouldn't he naturally stand a head above the rest?

Of course.

The disciples of a great clan, if chosen for careful cultivation, even if proud by nature, would not commit such wastrel behavior as accosting women in the street.

This Guo Jinlun was clearly one who had been given up on…

Swish~

A flash of sword light suddenly blossomed at the side of the street.

The man blocking the girl and bantering nonstop—behind Guo Jinlun, a figure suddenly charged out, slipped through the gap between Guo Jinlun's two guards, and drove a sword into Guo Jinlun's back.

"Puh!"

"Ah~~~!"

Along with the girl's piercing scream, a spray of scalding hot blood spattered across her face.

"Young Master!"

"Seeking death!"

The two guards jolted awake in horror, roared as they drew their blades, and attacked the ambusher.

A young man with his face covered!

Swish swish~

The masked man's figure flickered; sword light continued to bloom in his hand. His sword speed was ordinary, his angles nothing tricky, but the blade trembled strangely, producing a fierce, vibrating force.

Two muffled thuds—"Bang bang"—shook the guards' weapons from their grips and injured their wrists.

The next instant…

Hiss! Hiss!

Sword light flashed; blood lines burst from the two guards' throats, and their bodies toppled backward stiffly.

Just before they hit the ground, the masked man had already sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

The street fell into chaos; the masked man melted into the crowd and vanished in moments.

"It's over. This is going to cause big trouble!"

"Who? Who was that just now? He dares assassinate Guo Jinlun in broad daylight—is he mad?"

"Why do I feel he looks a bit familiar?"

"What, you know him? Wasn't his face covered? You could recognize him like that?"

"No, I mean the sword art. The sword art that guy used just now looks very familiar. Right—it's the 'Sweeping Cloud Sword Art'! No mistake, it's Luo Zhongyun's 'Sweeping Cloud Sword Art' from the Falling Cloud Martial Hall in the East District! The killer is someone from Falling Cloud Martial Hall?"

"Hiss~! N… no way? Falling Cloud Martial Hall was already wiped out, how could…"

"……"

The speaker cut off abruptly.

Exchanging a glance with his companion, his face shifting, he lowered his head and quickly left.

The few passersby who had overheard their conversation likewise dared not linger and hurried off.

Chen Mu was walking too, but he first approached the three corpses, collected the cards, and only then turned and left.

In his heart, he was slightly shaken.

The sword art the masked man displayed was the 'Sweeping Cloud Sword Art'?

He was…

Luo Zhaoyu!?

The sole surviving son of Luo Zhongyun after the destruction of Falling Cloud Martial Hall?

Killing Guo Jinlun in broad daylight.

Could it be that…

"The ones who destroyed Falling Cloud Martial Hall were the Guo family?"