Chapter 7: No Skill, Just Raw Grit

The third spiritual refinement primarily strengthens the physical body.

Although the tall man in black spat out a mouthful of blood, he had not suffered any fatal injury. He quickly steadied himself and, alongside his companion, lunged at Qin Liang. A long blade, radiating a chilling glint, tore through the night, striking at Qin Liang like a bolt of lightning.

Qin Liang reacted with agility. Using the Wind-Walking Steps, he evaded the lethal strike and then maneuvered nimbly to engage them in close quarters. Dust and gravel soon flew through the courtyard as the three figures flashed back and forth.

"Such speed!"

The two men in black hacked and slashed repeatedly, the wind whistling with each stroke, yet they could not even graze the hem of Qin Liang’s garment. Feeling humiliated, their expressions soured, and their offensive grew even more ferocious.

After a brief struggle, Qin Liang spotted an opening in one of them and immediately unleashed the Seven-Star Fist. With a muffled thud, the tall man in black failed to dodge in time; he took a heavy blow to the center of his back, snapping several ribs. His body was thrown violently into a corner, where he coughed up blood again, his face turning deathly pale. Before he could crawl up, four bursts of hidden internal force surged simultaneously, shattering his meridians in an instant.

"You... your Seven-Star Fist..." The tall man in black wore a look of sheer terror, unable to believe that this was the work of someone who had only undergone the second spiritual refinement.

Having felled one, Qin Liang did not hesitate and turned his assault toward the slightly stout man in black. The latter felt a surge of anxiety; they hadn't been able to win while working together, and now that he was alone, the situation was even more dire.

"Qin Liang, we were careless today, but don't think it will be so easy to take me down!" The stout man swung his blade frantically, creating a barrier of blade-shadows around his body to fend off Qin Liang’s attacks. Meanwhile, he crept step by step toward the courtyard gate, hoping to find an opportunity to escape.

"Hmph!" Qin Liang snorted. He snatched the long blade from the hand of the fallen tall man and thrust it toward the stout one.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing was piercing, but it successfully disrupted the barrier of blade-shadows. Seizing the opening, Qin Liang poured his strength into the Seven-Star Fist and smashed it into the man's chest.

In the end, both men had their meridians shattered and were cast into the corner by Qin Liang.

"Impossible! You only have a First-Rank Dao Root; how could you undergo two spiritual refinements in a single day?" The two were in disbelief. Was this still the same "trash" whose Dao Root couldn't even be detected? He had even mastered the fourth layer of hidden force in the Seven-Star Fist—at such a young age, he was already rivaling the elders.

Qin Liang could not be bothered to answer. "Where is Li Hongcai? Why didn't he come to kill me himself?"

"Who do you think you are? Why would he need to do it himself?" the tall man in black sneered. But before he could finish, a long blade pierced his chest, and blood began to gush out. He wanted to scream, but fearing he would be discovered and bring trouble upon Li Hongcai, he could only grit his teeth in agony.

"Do you need him to now?" Qin Liang asked coldly, slowly twisting the hilt of the blade to intensify the pain.

"Stop! Stop, I'll tell you! Young Master Li has gone to the back courtyard for seclusion. We were ordered to carry out the assassination. If we succeeded, we would receive a reward after he finished his training. That’s all we know." Fearing for their lives, they confessed everything they knew.

"Can you let us go now?" The two looked at Qin Liang, hoping for mercy.

Qin Liang swung his blade twice, ending their lives. They wanted to kill him and then expected him to show mercy? That was a pipe dream. For many years, Li Hongcai had acted like a tyrant in Sulfur City, a quintessential spoiled brat. His lackeys were no better; even if they hadn't defiled innocent women, their history of theft, extortion, and deception was extensive.

"The Heavenly Desolation Cauldron can refine the essence of all living things. Since humans are the most spiritual of all, surely they can be refined as well, right?" Qin Liang pondered. He stripped the two of their low-grade storage bags, summoned the Heavenly Desolation Cauldron, and threw the two corpses inside to begin the refining process.

The blood-reeking air in the courtyard was quickly drawn into the cauldron. A practitioner who has undergone three spiritual refinements has absorbed at least three portions of spiritual matter; to have two of them was equivalent to six portions—an incredibly extravagant resource.

As the bodies were refined by the cauldron, all impurities were purged. Every bit of spiritual substance they had ever consumed condensed into a single, thumb-sized drop of bright red blood, thick with the scent of iron. Qin Liang waited a moment longer, but the metallic smell of the spiritual essence would not dissipate.

"It seems this is the limit of the Heavenly Desolation Cauldron. This... is it drinkable?" Qin Liang frowned at the droplet in the cauldron. This refining process lacked any technical finesse; it was pure, raw brutality.

"Whatever." Qin Liang pinched his nose and downed the essence liquid in one gulp, then sat cross-legged on the spot to circulate his cultivation technique.

A wave of heat surged through his body, making him feel as though he were inside a furnace; sweat poured off him like rain. The energy of six portions of spiritual essence rampaged within him, only to be converted and absorbed by his supreme-tier technique, integrating into every cell of his body and strengthening his power bit by bit.

After half an incense stick's time, Qin Liang finally finished the absorption. He opened his eyes, a flicker of crimson light vanishing within them. As he stood up, his body let out a series of cracks like popping beans, leaving him feeling refreshed in body and mind.

"I have a feeling that if I do this once more, I can begin the third spiritual refinement." Qin Liang had a premonition and felt a secret sense of anticipation. His expression then hardened: "Li Hongcai, I had no intention of becoming your enemy, but since you have pushed things this far, don't blame me for being heartless."

He was no match for Li Hongcai yet, but since the man was in seclusion in the back courtyard, he couldn't just sit idly by. After tidying up, Qin Liang disguised himself as one of the men in black and headed out with the blade in hand.

Li Hongcai usually stayed in his aunt’s back courtyard for seclusion to ensure quiet and safety, rarely coming to his own side courtyard.

Under the deep night, Qin Liang used the Wind-Walking Steps to arrive quietly outside Li Hongcai's side courtyard. After checking his surroundings vigilantly, he leapt over the wall like a black cat.

"No, don't!"

As soon as Qin Liang entered the courtyard, he heard screams from a room, accompanied by the lascivious laughter of several men. He crept closer to peek and discovered, as expected, that these lackeys were up to no good.

Five burly men, all of whom had undergone three spiritual refinements, had abducted a young girl. They were shoving her toward the bed, viciously tearing at her clothes, planning to take turns with her.

"Brother Wei, this is the only one we have tonight. Why don't you make