Chu Jianqiu did not move from his cross-legged position on his bed, but his entire attention was already directed outside the window.'Who would come this late at night, and in such a stealthy manner?'It was neither the time nor the manner of an ordinary visitor. In this crucial ten-day period, he could not let a single suspicious detail pass without response.Click.That small sound was almost inaudible, but enough. The window leaf was pushed open slowly from outside, and a figure wrapped in black clothing from head to toe, complete with a face covering, slipped into the room with practiced movements.That figure had not yet fully planted both feet on the floor when a burst of strong wind slammed in from the left side.He was startled and tried to dodge, but his reaction was half a step too late. The blow landed on his shoulder hard enough to make him catch his breath, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.Chu Jianqiu gave no warning and asked no questions. Anyone who chose to e

It turned out the duel arena was not the only place heating up that day.The casino owned by the Wanwu Trading Company opened a betting table as soon as the life-and-death duel between Zhao Cheng and Fan Huan was officially announced. The result was predictable. Almost everyone placed their money on Fan Huan, even though the odds were low because that man's victory was considered a certainty. Only one person bet differently, Zhao Cheng himself, who placed his entire fortune on his own name before stepping onto the stage.The course of the fight initially matched everyone's expectations. Fan Huan pressured Zhao Cheng from the first minute, pushing his opponent into an increasingly narrow defensive position. For those watching, it was only a matter of time.But then Zhao Cheng took out that talisman.In an instant, his strength doubled. Fan Huan, already lulled by his own advantage, did not have time to adjust. One heavy blow landed on an unprotected spot, and from there the balance of t

The main training ground of the Chu Family that morning felt like a bustling market. There was almost no empty corner. The ten elders sat on the main platform together with the administrative elders, while direct and indirect disciples stood or sat in the lower areas, filling every inch of available space.When Chu Jianqiu stepped in, the voices immediately turned noisy."Well, well, our young master has finally decided to show up!""A competition this important and he arrives late. Truly arrogant. Does he still think he is the number one genius of Tianshui County?""Maybe he was afraid and only dared to come out after being forced. If he had not been pressured, he might still be hiding under his bed.""Already trash but still clinging to the young master's seat. Is he not ashamed? Just give up that position and make way for someone more deserving.""Starting today, Young Master Chu Han is our true young master!"Chu Jianqiu walked past all those voices without slowing his steps.'Thr

The aura radiating from Chu Han's body continued to swell, surpassing the limits he should have possessed, until it finally stabilized at a point he should not have been able to reach through normal means.Pseudo True Qi Realm.Not the actual True Qi Realm, but a temporary condition forced by the drug into a body not yet ready to receive it. The name itself said what it was, pseudo, false, borrowed from the future at a price that would have to be paid later.But its effect on the stage right now was very real.Chu Jianqiu's expression changed.'This is serious.'Throughout today's entire competition, he had never truly used everything he had. But the situation before him now was not something that could be handled with half his strength.Chu Han moved.The speed that emerged after that forced enhancement was more than twice what it had been before. In an instant he had closed the distance of several meters and his fist was already flying.Chu Jianqiu had no room to dodge. He chose to

The Qi Gathering Pill dissolved inside his body like embers dropped into a river, but instead of being extinguished, it burned the entire current into gold.The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Technique immediately went to work, purifying the drug's power into true qi that surged through all his meridians. Chu Jianqiu's body differed from the body of an ordinary cultivator in one very fundamental way. His meridians had been modified by the light radiating from that tower, strengthened many times over from the size and durability a cultivator at his level should possess. Opening every meridian required energy far greater than what others needed.But once opened, those meridians did not flow like small streams.They flowed like a great river after summer rain.One day and one night passed without pause. All two hundred Qi Gathering Pills were consumed. And when Chu Jianqiu opened his eyes, he could feel something different from every time before since he had started this journey again from the b