A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Cheng Kang sat upright on his horse, his gaze sweeping over the two opposing sides in the alley before finally settling on the man in black robes.

"How dare you!"

"How dare they intercept and kill my patrol officers in the city? Do they really think the Luochuan Prefecture is without capable officials?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strong, resonant quality that clearly echoed throughout the entire Blackwater Alley.

As soon as he finished speaking, several more riders stepped forward from behind him.

These people were all dressed in the armor of a centurion, their auras were deep and composed, and without exception, they were all experts at the Yi Jin Jing level.

Zhou Yuan glanced around and saw Xue Renjie prominently listed among them.

Beside Xue Renjie was a female centurion, tall and with a face somewhat similar to Xue Renjie's, but her aura was far stronger than Xue Renjie's, and she was already very close to the marrow cleansing realm.

Zhou Yuan even sensed a faint danger emanating from her.

This woman's strength far surpasses that of Xu Qingyi and Liu Cang.

Upon hearing Cheng Kang's question, the leading man in black robes shrugged, whether in laughter or something else was unclear.

"So that's why you're so calm. You called for reinforcements early on."

The black-robed man's hoarse voice rang out again, tinged with mockery.

"But do you think these people can protect you today?"

Before he finished speaking, he moved and a powerful aura suddenly erupted, completely ignoring the armored soldiers of the patrol battalion and aiming directly at Zhou Yuan!

He wanted to kill Zhou Yuan right in front of the patrol battalion!

The dozens of men in black behind him also stirred with auras, ready to pounce.

"You dare!"

With a roar, Cheng Kang spurred his horse and soared into the air, leaping several meters across before landing steadily in front of Zhou Yuan, blocking the black-robed man's path.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

All the patrol soldiers in the alley stepped forward in unison, their spears striking the ground with a series of resounding clangs, their eyes fixed on the front with murderous intent.

"Cheng Kang, you can't protect him by yourself today."

The man in black robes paused, then called out Cheng Kang's name directly.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Kang let out a cold laugh.

"Who told you I'm all alone?"

Upon hearing this, the man in black robes was visibly taken aback, his five senses, which belonged to the Marrow Cleansing Realm, suddenly being unleashed.

However, the next moment, he froze completely.

He suddenly realized that in the deepest part of the alley, an incredibly powerful aura had appeared and was locking onto him.

The aura was vast and boundless, and even just sensing it from afar made him feel insignificant.

"Change...Change Blood Realm?"

The black-robed man's hoarse voice finally betrayed a hint of undisguised terror.

Blood Transformation Realm!

Zhou Yuan was also shocked when he heard these three words.

Is the Blood Exchange Realm the next level above the Body Tempering Realm?

He immediately calmed himself down, amplified his five senses to the extreme, and explored the depths of the alley.

Unfortunately, although his combat power has soared, his cultivation level is still at the Bone Forging stage. He can only vaguely sense an obscure yet powerful aura lingering there, but he cannot see the whole picture.

"withdraw!"

The next moment, the man in black robes did not hesitate for a moment and decisively gave the order to retreat.

Upon hearing the sound, the crossbowmen on the rooftops on both sides of the alley and the martial artists at the alley entrance did not hesitate at all. They moved swiftly in all directions, their movements showing great speed and skill.

In just a few breaths, the long street, which had been filled with murderous intent, was now only occupied by the man in black robes.

"Inspector Zhou, we'll meet again."

The man in black robes glared venomously at Zhou Yuan through Cheng Kang, then his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.

Watching the enemy retreat, Cheng Kang glanced into the depths of the alley and, seeing no new instructions there, abandoned his plan to pursue them.

A potentially deadly trap has thus been averted.

Zhou Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

The crisis tonight brought him to his senses completely.

Although his current combat strength is strong, he is still too weak when facing an encirclement and attack by a powerful force, especially when facing the suppression of a powerhouse like the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

I haven't felt this sense of powerlessness for a long time since I mastered the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill.

We must never let our guard down.

We must improve our strength as soon as possible!

Zhou Yuan composed himself, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Kang.

"Zhou Yuan thanks Cheng Qianhu."

Cheng Kang turned around, a smile on his face.

"Inspector Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. The Patrol Inspection Division and the Patrol Battalion are essentially one entity. We were just following orders and happened to arrive at the right time."

Acting under orders?

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred.

In the entire Luochuan County, perhaps only County Magistrate Liu Wenju could mobilize the thousand-household patrol battalion.

Could it be that the county magistrate ordered him to be rescued?

However, he had no close relationship with that county magistrate, and they hadn't even exchanged more than a few words.

My own face shouldn't be that important.

His gaze unconsciously drifted back into the depths of the alley.

What truly made that Marrow Cleansing Realm expert back down was the Blood Exchange Realm being hiding in the shadows.

But who exactly is that person?

Zhou Yuan was completely baffled.

He was about to ask again when, in the next moment, Zhou Yuan suddenly stiffened, as if he had remembered something.

Xu Fu, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, is dead.

Since the enemy was able to discover his connection with the Black Tiger Gang, and even captured and killed Xu Fu on the spot...

Normally, the people responsible for escorting my sister to and from work are members of the Black Tiger Gang!

elder sister!

A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and Zhou Yuan could no longer remain calm.

"Commander Cheng, there is an urgent matter at home, and I must return immediately!"

Seeing his expression change drastically, Cheng Kang could only nod, even though he still had something to say.

Zhou Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Kang, and then slightly bowed to Xue Renjie, Xue Min, and the others behind him, as a way of thanking them for their help today.

Upon seeing this, Xue Renjie, who was on horseback, returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

The aloof female commander Xue Min beside him simply nodded indifferently.

Without further delay, Zhou Yuan turned around and sprinted towards his home.

About half an hour later, Zhou Yuan finally rushed back to the muddy alley.

But as soon as he stepped into his home, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The courtyard was in a mess, with tables and chairs overturned and items scattered all over the ground, clearly indicating that it had been thoroughly searched.

really!

Since the enemy could find the Black Tiger Gang, they could naturally find his residence as well!

Zhou Yuan was extremely anxious and rushed into the house in three steps.

He searched every single room.

No.

There was no sign of her older sister, Zhou Ting.

Zhou Yuan's eyes gradually turned bloodshot.

A terrifying aura of malevolence was brewing and rising wildly around him.

His only concern in this world was his sister.

Anyone who dares to touch her will die!

"Wei! Tian! He!"

Zhou Yuan roared out the name, each word distinct and filled with overwhelming killing intent.

In Luochuan County, besides the Wei family, he couldn't think of anyone else with such power and such motives!

However, just as he was consumed by rage and about to be consumed by his violent temper...

A familiar yet somewhat timid voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Ah Yuan?"

Zhou Yuan suddenly turned his head to look.

Outside the gate, the older sister, Zhou Ting, stood there prettily, a hint of worry on her face.

Zhou Yuan was overjoyed and was about to ask a question.

But the next moment, he was startled again.

Behind Zhou Ting, a figure in white was leaning against the door frame, holding a sheathed longsword in his arms, arms crossed, quietly watching him.

......