Twenty years ago, those at the Marsh and Energies of Human levels, unless from prestigious sects, had only two choices."
"Either join the Six Doors…"
"Or die!!!"
"Now, do you think, under those conditions, the Six Doors wouldn't be full of experts?"
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu asked with a half-smile.
Ben nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
Under such brutal circumstances, any practitioner who didn't want to die had no choice but to join the Six Doors and become tools of the regime.
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu continued, "However, to you, ordinary experts are irrelevant. The ones you must be wary of are the Six Great Divine Envoys, the Director, and the Commander of the Six Doors."
"The Six Divine Envoys are all Energies of Human-level masters, each stronger than me."
"As for the Director and Commander, they've reached the Refinement God realm—true peerless powerhouses!"
Ben remained calm. He cupped his fist slightly and said, "Thank you for the warning."
Name: Ben
Age: 19
Martial Arts: Dragon's Roar Iron Body (Transcendent), Iron Sand Palm (Transcendent), Cloud Chasing Step (Transcendent), Ancient Sword Blood Technique (Transcendent), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (Transcendent)
Current Realm: Energies of Human – Peak
Martial Arts Competition Points: 75,630
Available Spirit Energy Points: 21,995
As Ben walked out of the mental hospital, he glanced at his attribute panel and couldn't help but smile.
This trip had been his most rewarding one yet.
He looked at his pocket watch—past ten p.m.
The streets were quiet.
Instead of returning to the inn, Ben returned to the secluded battleground where he had sparred with the Fire Cloud Cthulhu.
It had been an incredibly hidden spot.
And here, he would break through!
After checking his surroundings and confirming no one was around, Ben began using his spirit energy points.
Upgrade!
In an instant—
The starry sky turned pitch-black as thick clouds rolled in from all directions, blotting out the moonlight.
The pressure in the air became suffocating.
Even in the dead of night, the phenomenon was impossible to miss.
Inside the hospital.
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu, who had just lain down to rest, suddenly shot to his feet and rushed to the rooftop.
Looking in the direction of their previous sparring, he saw the dark clouds swirling and heard thunder in the distance.
"Is that… someone breaking into the Refine the Spirit realm?"
He blinked, then muttered with disbelief, "Could it be that kid?"
"A peerless genius! Truly peerless!!"
His face was filled with both admiration and envy.
Meanwhile, across the city—
Countless martial arts experts sensed the abnormality and leapt onto rooftops, all looking in the same direction.
Soon, seven or eight martial artists wearing official robes raced through the night toward the source of the disturbance.
But when they arrived—
No one was there.
"Sir, signs of a fight!"
"Judging by the destruction, two Energies of Human-level fighters sparred here."
"Someone must've had a breakthrough to the Refinement God realm!"
"Quickly notify the Divine Envoy!"
Back at the inn, Ben had already returned, a soft smile lingering on his lips.
After reaching Refine the Spirit, his perception of the world had changed dramatically.
His five senses and sixth sense had all evolved.
He could see airborne microbes, hear sewer rats scurrying, and even smell lewdness coming from the next room.
Just moments ago, he spotted a customer walking out late—and instantly saw the vitality of a Marsh-level martial artist.
Now, nothing could hide from his divine sense.
This was why the authorities hunted Refinement God experts so aggressively—because their divine sense could expose monsters hiding beneath human skins.
Ben wasn't just spiritually stronger.
Physically, he had improved even more.
He had used 2,000 spirit energy points to break through, then spent 10,000 more to reach Refinement God Peak!
Name: Ben
Age: 19
Martial Arts: Dragon's Roar Iron Body (Transcendent), Iron Sand Palm (Transcendent), Cloud Chasing Step (Transcendent), Ancient Sword Blood Technique (Transcendent), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (Transcendent)
Current Realm: Refinement God – Peak
Martial Arts Competition Points: 75,630
Available Spirit Energy Points: 9,995
Ben checked his panel.
Technically, he had enough points to upgrade to the Land Immortal realm, but…
Upgrade Failed.
Every attempt brought the same prompt.
The system wouldn't allow further upgrades through energy points—he had reached the cap.
Land Immortal would require his own comprehension now.
Ben wasn't ashamed.
He was already satisfied with his current level of strength.
He could introspect now—feel the sea of burning true energy in his dantian.
No longer did he need rigid techniques; even a casual punch could cause hundreds of tons of destruction.
He was a monster now.
If he fought the Fire Cloud Cthulhu again, he could finish him in one strike.
"I still have almost ten thousand spirit energy points. How should I use them?" he murmured.
While others lacked energy, he had too much and nothing to spend it on.
For now, he could only wait until he found a martial art worth upgrading.
The next morning—
Ben checked out of the hotel and, carrying his luggage, departed Chicago.
His next destination: new york
A major port city under strong Japanese influence.
In just three days, the martial world dubbed him "Tianjin's Number One."
The previous titleholder had been Master Robert of Mizongquan, who humbly admitted publicly that Master Song (Ben's alias) surpassed him.
And soon, a mysterious vigilante emerged—the Night Errant.
No one saw him during the day, but at night he appeared everywhere—slaying enemies without mercy.
Within days, he had killed hundreds of Japanese pirates—not mere soldiers, but high-ranking, powerful officials.
Most shockingly, he assassinated a notorious Japanese general under heavy protection.
That general had led the invasion of America, and his death caused a national sensation.
Citizens everywhere celebrated.
The Night Errant became a national hero.
Even the arrogant Japanese forces in Tianjin became quiet and disciplined overnight.
Ten days later—
Ben sat on a train headed for Foshan, dressed as a wealthy overseas businessman.
He was returning to find Leo.
She had written she planned to find him, but never did.
Two days ago, he received news—the Governor-General of Liangguang was getting married.
Ben knew Leo must've run into trouble and couldn't escape.
Without delay, he boarded the next train to Foshan.
Name: Ben
Age: 19
Martial Arts: Dragon's Roar Iron Body (Transcendent), Iron Sand Palm (Transcendent), Cloud Chasing Step (Transcendent), Ancient Sword Blood Technique (Transcendent), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (Transcendent)
Current Realm: Refinement God – Peak
Martial Arts Competition Points: 103,010
Available Spirit Energy Points: 23,685
He had gained over 27,000 points in Tianjin alone, finally surpassing 100,000.
Two days later—
Arriving in Foshan, Ben received news: The Governor-General would marry the Henry family's daughter in two days.
The wedding would be held at the Henry estate.
The old Governor's mansion had been destroyed, and the new one wasn't complete yet.
Ben didn't hesitate—he went straight to the Henry estate.
It wasn't hard to find.
The family was well-known, and their mansion spanned thousands of acres.
Ben moved like a shadow.
Even in broad daylight, he entered without anyone noticing.
He passed through garden after garden, and finally arrived at Leo's room.
Outside, dozens of martial artists stood guard.
Most were Marsh-level, and one was a Fighting Skill master—the same level as Tian Can and Sam.
This formation was clearly meant to trap Leo.
To her, they were an iron cage.
To Ben?
They were like paper.
He passed through them like wind—undetected.
Inside the room—
The Henry family's eldest daughter, Song, sat on a chair, her face full of anxiety.
Only three days remained until the end of her mission.
But the wedding was in two.
That left one day short.
Should she hold a blade to her throat on her wedding night to buy time?
But rumor had it the Governor-General was cruel—several concubines had already died in his hands.
Would such a threat even work?
Probably not.
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