I bear witness to immortality in the human world.

Chapter 57 Several Months
Xinghua Restaurant.

In a private room on the second floor, Wu Ming, Shi Zhenbang, and Fu Jingsong took their seats. Eight exquisite dishes were laid out on the table.

As eighth-rank patrol officers of the Censorate, the three of them were not considered big shots in the entire Jingye City, but compared to the common people, they were already a class that needed to be looked up to. Not to mention the power held by the Censorate, their monthly income from various sources, including their salaries and the money given to them by powerful figures, amounted to more than a hundred taels.

That's at least a thousand taels of silver a year.

With such a large income, one could be considered respectable, if not extremely wealthy. In the city, one could wear silk and brocade clothes and frequent restaurants and brothels every day, enjoying music and entertainment. One could live a very comfortable life.

"I thought Zhao Hu would be able to reach the third level of blood clotting, but I didn't expect Feng Yong to be one step ahead. At his age, reaching the third level of blood clotting is quite impressive among the younger generation of our Shenxing Division."

After a few rounds of drinks, Shi Zhenbang talked about Feng Yong, and he was quite emotional.

Feng Yong is only twenty-four years old this year. To achieve three blood clottings at this age is already considered fast, making him a standout among the younger generation. He also has the opportunity to achieve four blood clottings in the future.

Fu Jingsong, his face flushed, drank a glass of wine and counted on his fingers, saying, "In our Shenxing Division, there seem to be only eight young people under the age of twenty-five who have achieved the third blood clotting stage. Including Feng Yong, there are only eight of them."

"You're not mistaken."

Shi Zhenbang nodded leisurely and said, "I also know that in the Seven Martial Alliance, there are thirteen people under the age of twenty-five who have reached the third stage of blood condensation, eleven in the Black Fiend Sect, twelve in the Profound Jade Sect, and ten in the Demon Suppression Division."

Listening to Shi Zhenbang and Fu Jingsong's casual conversation, Wu Ming didn't interrupt, only showing a thoughtful expression.

Because of martial arts training, it becomes increasingly difficult to accumulate blood and qi with age. If one does not achieve four blood clotting stages before the age of thirty, there is basically no hope. Therefore, one can only have a chance to advance further if one reaches three blood clotting stages before the age of twenty-five.

Currently, those who meet these criteria and are under thirty years old are few and far between among the various factions, if not extremely rare. Even combined, the major factions only have a few dozen such individuals.

These dozens of people are the most outstanding among the younger generation in the Jingye City region right now.

Feng achieved blood clotting three times by the age of twenty-four, barely crossing the line and placing himself at the bottom of the list of young prodigies.

From Shi Zhenbang and Fu Jingsong, Wu Ming also learned that the three most outstanding martial arts prodigies in the Shenxing Division are Ning Bufan, Wang Wuzheng and Ling Zhonghan. Ning Bufan and Wang Wuzheng both achieved the third blood coagulation before the age of twenty-two, while Ling Zhonghan entered the third blood coagulation realm at the age of twenty-one!
At the age of twenty-three, he mastered the Unity Force of the Art of Crafts. Now at twenty-six, he is said to have reached the threshold of four blood coagulations. Once he can cross that threshold, he will become one of the most prominent figures in Jingye City.

of course,

These things are still a long way off for Wu Ming. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. He had only been in the second stage of blood clotting for less than a month, and the third stage was still a long way off. For now, he could only listen to the stories of those influential figures.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wu Ming and Shi Zhenbang and the others left the restaurant and went their separate ways.

……

The next day.

The meditation room of the Shenxing Division.

Holding the Crimson Python Spear, Wu Ming's mind was filled with images of various spear techniques.

Now he has a photographic memory and will not miss any detail. He has already reviewed and memorized all the spear techniques collected in the Cautious Punishment Division. At present, he is still far from the third blood coagulation and the third primordial spirit refinement, so he focuses on the 'unity realm' of the art of skill. Since he has no clue how to enter the unity realm, he will start from the basics again.

Although each different spear technique is similar in power, they each have their own tendencies. For example, the Falling Leaf Spear Technique focuses on 'accuracy' and 'speed', while the Rock Spear Technique focuses on 'completeness' and 'heaviness'.

Different spear techniques emphasize different aspects, and Wu Ming vaguely felt that these various directions, based on spear techniques and expanding outwards, might contain the essential mysteries of the Unity Realm. After all, he had read a sentence in the True Explanation of Martial Arts describing the Unity Realm: "The combination of strength and gentleness, the convergence of dragon and tiger." With Wu Ming's subtle level of spiritual perception, coupled with his sufficiently profound spear technique skills, he could master different spear techniques extremely quickly. He could often master a new spear technique to the point of complete understanding in just half a month.

in this way,

Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and Wu Ming had mastered the spear techniques of four more spears.

By this time, Wu Ming had mastered a total of ten spear techniques. Although many of these ten techniques were similar in nature, they also had different directions of development, which gave Wu Ming a lot of inspiration.

Based on the ten spear techniques, Wu Ming finally glimpsed the mystery of the unity of skill and technique.

……

"Guo Xiang has had his blood clotted three times?"

Inside the Department of Cautious Punishment.

Wu Ming, dressed in the official robes of a patrolman, walked side by side with Shi Zhenbang, his eyes flickering slightly as he listened to Shi Zhenbang's words.

He killed Guo Huai decisively, but he was not a reckless person. Although some time had passed and the matter had not caused any significant disturbance, he had not forgotten about it. He did not know what kind of person Guo Xiang was, but the fact that his younger brother had been killed by him meant that a deep-seated grudge had been formed. Therefore, he had been keeping an eye on news about Guo Xiang.

The Shenxing Division is in charge of the order of the entire Jingye City. While it may not have as much detailed information about the outside world as it does inside the city, it still pays close attention to various forces, especially the Black Fiend and Xuanyu sects.

Guo Xiang, an inner disciple of the Black Fiend Sect, broke through the third stage of Blood Condensation and became one of the true disciples of the Black Fiend Sect. This was a major event and could not be kept secret. It quickly reached the Cautious Punishment Division and was heard by Shi Zhenbang.

Shi Zhenbang knew that Wu Ming had a grudge against Guo Xiang, and upon learning this, he immediately came to tell Wu Ming.

"Well, Guo Xiang is twenty-four years old this year. He has entered the third stage of Blood Condensation and has become a true disciple of the Black Fiend Sect. He is currently ranked twelfth. However, since he has just entered the third stage of Blood Condensation, he should need some time to consolidate his realm and hone his martial arts skills."

Shi Zhenbang's tone was slightly solemn.

Three instances of blood clotting are no small matter.

Before Guo Xiang entered the third stage of blood coagulation, even though he ranked high among the many inner disciples of the Black Fiend Sect, it was nothing special. If he were to encounter these patrolmen from the Cautious Punishment Division in Jingye City, he would have to behave properly.

However, once one reaches the third stage of blood coagulation, the situation changes. Guo Xiang, who has risen to the position of a true disciple, not only sees a significant increase in his status within the Black Fiend Sect, but as a master of the third stage of blood coagulation, his strength is far superior to that of someone who has reached the second stage of blood coagulation.

Although even the Black Fiend and Profound Jade sects in the Jingye City territory dare not openly attack and kill the patrolmen of the Cautious Punishment Division and violate the rules of the Cautious Punishment Division, this is only on the surface. The secret struggles and killings between the major forces have long been very common.

Especially outside the city.

In the battles fought over resources, casualties frequently occurred among personnel from the Censorate and the Demon Suppression Bureau.

If Guo Xiang were to seek revenge on Wu Ming, as long as it wasn't a direct, open attack in broad daylight, but rather a clandestine act, even if it was later determined that Guo Xiang was responsible, the Shenxing Division would at most engage in some wrangling with the Black Fiend Sect.

"Thank you for reminding me, Brother Shi. I understand now."

Wu Ming remained calm. After bowing to Shi Zhenbang in thanks, he turned and walked deep into the Shenxing Division.

(End of this chapter)