Martial Arts: My talent multiplier increased

The next five days.

Fang Yuan's schedule became a precise, almost minute-by-minute line—during the day, he would oversee the accounts at Baicaotang, scout locations in the west of the city, and use the blood-red token to detect the direction of pulse deflection. At night, he would go hunting.

The second heretic died in an unfinished construction shed on the southern section of the second main street in the west of the city.

When Fang Yuan arrived, the man was squatting next to a corpse that was not yet completely cold. Ten dark red fingernails were stuck in the Jiaji acupoints on the corpse's back, and he was making a very faint gurgling sound, similar to the sound of a straw running dry.

Early stage of Bone Refining Realm.

Fang Yuan didn't enter through the window. The shed had no windows. He climbed over the gap in the roof that had collapsed halfway, landing first on the outside of his foot, shifting his weight along the arch of his foot, and landing on the remaining pillar of the crossbeam.

The evil cultivator's ears perked up the instant Fang Yuan landed.

late.

The Triple Wave Fist strikes down from above. The first strike hits the back of the neck. The second strike overlaps with the residual shockwave of the first. The third strike—

The evil cultivator's cervical spine emitted a very short, crisp crack under the triple force. It wasn't the sound of a bone breaking; it was the sound of bones being shattered from the inside by the force of the energy.

The sound of the corpse falling was even lighter than when Fang Yuan landed.

Fang Yuan's right palm hovered above the corpse of the evil cultivator.

Dark red mist seeped from its pores. Tentacles stretched out in all directions. The instant they touched Fang Yuan's palm—

A panel pops up.

"Foreign essence blood energy detected. Absorb?"

Yes.

"Absorption complete. Temporary boost points +1. Current temporary boost points: 2."

Two minutes. From entering to leaving.

When Fang Yuan emerged from the shed, the night wind blew away most of the dust clinging to his short brown robe. He didn't look back at the shed—inside lay the corpse of a heretical cultivator and the corpse of a victim. The victim was a middle-aged man, wearing a hunter's leather vest.

The city guard patrol will pass through this street in two hours.

They will find out.

-

The third one. North of the city.

On the third night, the token's pulse shifted direction. It no longer pointed towards the northwest of the city; it veered towards due north.

Fang Yuan followed the pulse guidance through three main streets. The layout of the north of the city was different from that of the west—the west was a residential area for lower-level martial artists, with narrow alleys, low houses, and many dead corners. The north was a commercial area with spacious shops, second floors with attics, and the streets were 20% brighter than those in the west.

The city guards patrolled frequently in the north of the city. Fang Yuan bypassed three patrol teams before finally finding the location indicated by the pulse.

A blacksmith shop that was temporarily closed.

The shop's stove had long been extinguished. The hammer and chopping board were covered with a gray cloth. In the pile of miscellaneous items in the backyard—Fang Yuan's spiritual perception penetrated through two layers of adobe walls—two cold signals.

two.

Fang Yuan stood at the alley entrance opposite the blacksmith shop for ten breaths.

Two heretical cultivators appeared at the same location at the same time. This is the first time. The previous two times, they were alone.

His brain completed the tactical simulation within ten breaths.

Two early-stage Bone Refining Realm cultivators. If they attack simultaneously, one won't be able to defend against the other's counterattack. If they attack one first, the other's reaction time is approximately two to three breaths. Two to three breaths. Fang Yuan's Overlapping Wave Fist takes half a breath from punch to hit. After killing the first one, he turns around, locks onto the second, and punches—a total of one and a half breaths.

The second heretic had less than a breath to react.

enough.

Fang Yuan climbed over the backyard wall.

A faint, dark red light shone through the cracks in the pile of junk. Two heretical cultivators sat cross-legged facing each other. Between them sat a copper basin, half-filled with a dark red liquid. The surface of the liquid swayed slightly.

It's not blood. It's too thick. It's like syrup that's almost reduced.

A concentrated form of semen and blood.

Fang Yuan's gaze swept between the two men. The one on the left was thinner, with more pronounced cracks in his facial skin—meaning he had been practicing evil arts for a longer time, resulting in more severe damage to his body's "vessel." The one on the right was slightly larger, with a lighter-colored bat brand on the web of his right hand—meaning he was more experienced.

Shoot the left side first. Experienced players react faster than beginners.

Fang Yuan's right fist extended from the gap in the pile of debris.

Three punches.

The airflow was compressed into transparent spikes, which pierced through the gaps in the debris and stabbed into the left temple of the heretic.

The man's body stiffened for a moment in his seated position. His ten dark red fingernails trembled on his knees.

Fang Yuan's body had already emerged from behind the pile of debris.

The evil cultivator on the right reacted even slower than Fang Yuan had anticipated. Not two or three breaths, but four. It took him a full four breaths to switch from "cultivation mode" to "combat mode."

Within four breaths, Fang Yuan had already taken three steps.

The fourth breath. The evil cultivator opened his mouth. It was unclear whether he wanted to shout or vomit something. Fang Yuan didn't give him the chance.

A fist slammed into his Adam's apple.

It's not a triple punch. One is enough.

The sensation of shattered laryngeal cartilage traveled back through his fist. The evil cultivator's mouth gaped open, but no sound came out. His body lurched backward, the back of his head slamming against the blacksmith's anvil.

Fang Yuan's right palm hovered above each of the two corpses for three breaths.

Two wisps of dark red mist surged into his palm one after the other.

The panel jumped twice.

"Temporary increase in points +1. Current: 3."

"Temporary increase in points +1. Current: 4."

Fang Yuan flicked his fingers. The chill in his palm was stronger than the previous two times. His Qi and blood, four times stronger than his original constitution, overwhelmed the coldness within two heartbeat cycles.

After losing the life force of the two evil cultivators, the dark red concentrate in the copper basin began to solidify on the surface. A crust formed, concentric rings, from the edges towards the center.

Fang Yuan didn't touch the copper basin.

When he stepped out of the backyard, the moon was mostly obscured by clouds. A gust of wind blew in from the alleyway, causing the rusty iron chains on the blacksmith's shop sign to sway twice.

-

the fourth.

We returned to the west side of the city.

This time it's not on the ground. It's underground.

Fang Yuan followed a cold signal to a dry well in the middle of the fourth main street in the west of the city. The cold signal disappeared from the direction of the well.

He leaned over the edge of the well and looked down. It was dark. He couldn't see anything.

The token was affixed to his forehead. The pulse changed from one beat per breath to three beats per breath.

Fang Yuan hesitated for two breaths.

Underground. Enclosed space. Limited visibility. If there's more than one person down there—

His fingers brushed against the edge of the dark gold shard next to the token in his pocket. Constant.

The panel flashed through my mind. Temporary boost points: 4.

Fang Yuan made a decision. His will triggered a temporary amplification.

Choose: Soul.

"Temporary boost activated. Divine Soul Talent: 2x → 3x. Duration: One hour."

In that instant, the range of perception expanded from twenty-five zhang to—Fang Yuan closed his eyes and sensed for a moment—about thirty-seven zhang.

Not only has the range expanded, but the precision of perception has also improved significantly. The previously blurry outlines of blood and qi signals have become sharper, like a mosaic image suddenly having its resolution increased.

Down in the well.

Fang Yuan's tripled divine soul perception penetrated the well wall and extended underground.

Ten feet deep. A horizontal passage. About three feet wide. Just high enough for a person to bend over and pass through.

Inside the passage—a cold signal. Moving. Very slowly. Towards the northeast.

only one.