Chapter Eleven: Leveling Up Once More!

“Yes, Chief!”
A martial artist of the Bright Strength level hurried toward the woodshed.
Yan Chonghu and Qin Feng conversed for a full hour, dissolving previous tensions and drawing closer in friendship, before leading Shi Tie and the others away.
As he left, Yan Chonghu invited Qin Feng to visit the Black Tiger Gang the next day and meet its senior members.

“Big brother, that young man is no weakling, but if you, I, and the eight hall masters joined forces, we could surely take him down!”
“Why did you yield to him, and even invite him to become the third leader of the Black Tiger Gang?”
After leaving the residence, Shi Tie could no longer hold back his dissatisfaction and blurted out his grievances.
Shi Tie was a straightforward man, never one to bottle up his feelings; if something bothered him, he would say it aloud.

“The third leader, Qin, is no ordinary man!”
“Come, once we’re back at headquarters, I’ll explain in detail.”
Yan Chonghu spoke with a mysterious air.

“Big brother, can’t you tell me now?”
Back at the gang’s headquarters, Yan Chonghu was about to drink some water, but Shi Tie pulled him aside, eagerly pressing his question.

“Very well,” Yan Chonghu replied, shaking his head with a faint smile, fully aware of Shi Tie’s character.
“From my observations, the Third Leader is not yet twenty, yet he’s already reached the Transforming Strength level. He must have a master guiding him from behind the scenes.”
“And even if there is no formidable figure behind him, his own abilities alone are enough to warrant our friendship.”
“To reach Transforming Strength at such a young age and to cultivate so single-mindedly—so long as he doesn’t fall, he’s bound to become a Grandmaster.”
“Should the Black Tiger Gang boast a Grandmaster among its ranks, we would be elevated to the top tier of Xuanzhou City’s powers, and we could even catch a glimpse of the mysteries of Grandmaster-level strength.”
“As the saying goes, ‘When one rises to power, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven with him!’”
A look of joy appeared on Yan Chonghu’s face as he spoke slowly.
He had built his empire from scratch, taking thirty years to carve out a territory in Xuanzhou City, and the Black Tiger Gang was a name that inspired awe.
In both resourcefulness and determination, he far surpassed ordinary men.
He could see that Qin Feng was no ordinary man.

“Big brother, breaking through to Grandmaster is unimaginably difficult!”
“For a common man to reach the Bright Strength level is already one in ten thousand; to become a Grandmaster is one in a million!”
“In the entire Great Chu Empire, who knows how many martial artists there are, yet Grandmasters are but a scant few!”
“You say he could become a Grandmaster? I don’t believe it!”
Shi Tie curled his lip in disbelief.
Though he’d been born with great strength and reached the Transforming Strength level by age thirty, he had no confidence whatsoever in breaking through to Grandmaster.
He knew all too well how formidable that barrier was.

“Heh, even if the Third Leader cannot achieve Grandmaster, he’s still a Transforming Strength powerhouse!”
“His joining will bolster the Black Tiger Gang, letting us stand tall against the Azure Dragon Sect, the Hatchet Gang, and the Han, Li, and Wang families…”
Yan Chonghu smiled as he spoke.

…

“My strength is still not enough!”
“This world is simply too dangerous—I must grow stronger, and quickly.”
“If not for my strength earlier, Yan Chonghu might have killed me and tossed my corpse into the river to feed the fish.”
“And then there’s Shen Huaidong; he surely has more tricks up his sleeve. Yes, and the young master of the Hatchet Gang, who sought to seize the White Orchid Fruit and the White Ginseng Fruit. Since I refused, he won’t let the matter rest.”
Qin Feng sat cross-legged on his bed, recalling all that had transpired, an urgent desire for power burning in his heart.

Boom!
Boom!
Qin Feng swiftly swallowed the Hundred Spirit Fruit, regulating his breathing, cultivating the Thunder Breathing Technique, and simulating the sound of thunder to temper his body.
As he delved into the Thunder Breathing Technique, a thunderous rumble echoed within him.
The sound of thunder rapidly shattered the medicine’s power, fusing it into his flesh, enhancing his body’s strength.

“The Thunder Breathing Technique is exceedingly domineering, simulating thunder to temper the body. Inevitably, this process causes muscle damage and strains the body.”
“According to the manual, after an hour’s practice, one must stop and allow the body to recover before continuing.”
“But I have nothing to worry about—my body’s recovery is exceptional. The damage caused by the thunder is swiftly repaired.”
“Moreover, the process of healing accelerates my absorption of the White Orchid Fruit’s medicine! And it’s a complete absorption, with almost no waste.”

An hour later, after fully absorbing the White Orchid Fruit’s power, Qin Feng swallowed the White Ginseng Fruit.

“Onward!”
With steely determination, Qin Feng continued to cultivate the Thunder Breathing Technique, feeling his physical strength grow visibly.

Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
…
As he was about to completely refine the White Ginseng Fruit’s power, the bones within him gave off a series of crisp cracks—nine in all.

Three cracks signified Bright Strength.
Nine cracks marked Dark Strength.

With the aid of the White Orchid and White Ginseng Fruits, Qin Feng’s physical strength surged, propelling him straight into the Dark Strength realm.
He moved his body, feeling that his physical foundation now fully matched his internal power.

“Time to add more points!”

Without hesitation, Qin Feng tapped the “+” sign.
+1
+1
+1
+1
This time, unlike his first reckless attempt, he stopped adding points as soon as he felt a swelling pain in his muscles.

Boom!
He punched forward, the air exploding with a mighty force.
He wasn’t sure of his exact strength, but he felt certain that if he clashed with Yan Chonghu now, he could send him flying.

“I wonder whether Yan Chonghu is strong or weak among Transforming Strength fighters. And how do I compare?”
“I still need to grow stronger—my current level is only Dark Strength. I have yet to reach Transforming Strength, and above that lie the unfathomable Grandmasters!”
“Tomorrow, when I visit the Black Tiger Gang, I hope to secure enough resources to break through to Transforming Strength in one go.”

…

“Young Master, the investigation is complete. That man is named Qin Feng, from Tianyang City. His family is weak, their strongest member only at the Dark Strength level.”
“Moreover, the man is quite old, his vitality fading, his strength a shadow of its former self. Several factions in Tianyang City are squeezing them hard.”
A Hatchet Gang subordinate, having gathered information, rushed to Chun Yuan, where Chen Yunhu was drinking, and quickly reported.

“A nobody like that dares stand against me?”
Chen Yunhu nearly burst out laughing at Qin Feng’s background, sneering as he spoke.
“Uncle Lie, I’ll need to trouble you to make a trip later.”
He turned to Lei Lie.

“With me taking action, nothing can possibly go wrong.”
Lei Lie replied coolly.

Late at night, Lei Lie, dressed in black, slipped out of the Hatchet Gang’s headquarters, vanishing swiftly into the darkness.
He was originally a notorious bandit, swift and decisive in his work, no stranger to such deeds.

“Shen Huaidong, your time has come!”
“Though you are clever and have set countless traps, you have underestimated my strength!”
“Tonight will be your end!”
Qin Feng walked out of his room, wielding his spiked mace, his eyes glinting coldly, murderous intent radiating from him.