Chapter 24: Promotion To Second-rate!
Supreme Yang Internal Energy was already the product of merging two types of internal energy, and it was already very strong in itself.
However, in terms of purity, Supreme Yang Internal Energy was still far inferior to Pure Origin Internal Energy.
Therefore, the collision and merger of the two internal energies naturally took Pure Origin Internal Energy as the dominant force.
Crucially, Pure Origin Internal Energy also had the characteristic of internal energy purification.
While merging internal energy, it was also purifying internal energy.
It took roughly three strands of Supreme Yang Internal Energy to purify into one strand of Pure Origin Internal Energy.
But the purified internal energy was refined to the extreme!
The internal energy merger lasted two hours.
“Whoosh”.
Ji Qing opened his eyes.
His internal energy had completely merged.
And his martial arts had also undergone a change.
Supreme Yang Rising Sun Art and Pure Origin Art disappeared, replaced by “Supreme Yang Pure Origin Art”.
Ji Qing silently sensed the extremely pure internal energy. Without any hesitation, he immediately circulated the pure internal energy and began to open up one meridian after another in the Great Heavenly Cycle.
The meridians, which were originally extremely difficult, were opened effortlessly under the impact of the pure internal energy, as if it were a natural course.
One hour, two hours, three hours…
In the blink of an eye, three hours passed.
When the last meridian was opened.
“Boom”.
After Ji Qing’s internal energy could circulate a Great Heavenly Cycle, his internal energy instantly surged.
And during the circulation of the Great Heavenly Cycle, his internal energy increased every moment.
Ji Qing was also carefully sensing the benefits of the “Great Heavenly Cycle”.
After circulating the internal energy through the Great Heavenly Cycle time and again, the meridians were also widened.
A single attack could also burst out stronger internal energy.
This was a Second-Rank Martial Artist!
Once promoted to Second-Rank, a martial artist experienced all-around improvement.
Especially the improvement in internal energy, which was worlds apart compared to a Third-Rank Martial Artist.
Many Jianghu martial artists diligently trained their whole lives, and even if their talent was a bit lacking, they could ultimately become Third-Rank Martial Artists.
But Third-Rank Martial Artist was the limit.
To become a Second-Rank Martial Artist, one needed exceptional talent or a fortuitous encounter, or massive resources “piled up” from childhood.
Otherwise, it was impossible to become a Second-Rank Martial Artist in one’s lifetime.
Therefore, Second-Rank Martial Artist was a watershed.
In Jianghu, only by becoming a Second-Rank Martial Artist could one be considered a renowned expert.
Only Second-Rank Martial Artists could establish sects and preside over them.
As for Third-Rank Martial Artists, they could at best open martial arts schools or escort agencies.
Ji Qing immediately focused his spirit and opened the Demon Record to check his own information.
Ji Qing: Second-Rank Martial Artist
Supreme Yang Pure Origin Art: Perfection（Supreme Yang Internal Energy, Internal Energy Burst with Three-Tenths Amplification, Internal Energy Purification）
Thirteen Fast Blades: Perfection（Ultimate Move First Line of Sky）
Grass on Flying: Perfection（Ultimate Move Borrowing Strength from the Void）
Origin Points: 4 points
On the Demon Record, Ji Qing was already a Second-Rank Martial Artist!
The three internal arts had also successfully merged into one internal art.
After Second-Rank came First-Rank, which was even harder.
Second-Rank Martial Artists cultivated the Extraordinary Meridians and had to open up the Extraordinary Meridians in their bodies.
Once the Extraordinary Meridians were opened, one could be promoted to First-Rank Martial Artist.
For a Second-Rank Martial Artist to open the Extraordinary Meridians, there were generally two methods.
One was to rely on profound internal energy cultivation to open the Extraordinary Meridians bit by bit, which required extremely profound and pure internal energy—Ji Qing met this condition.
But opening the Extraordinary Meridians with one’s own internal energy would take a very long time.
Perhaps it could succeed in a few years.
Or perhaps it would require decades of hard work.
Even a lifetime might not be enough to open the Extraordinary Meridians.
The second method was to cultivate certain superior internal arts.
These internal arts specifically targeted certain Extraordinary Meridians, and once mastered, they could open one or several Extraordinary Meridians.
But internal arts capable of opening Extraordinary Meridians were often Second-Rate Internal Energy Arts, considered the “core” of a sect in Jianghu, and were very hard to circulate in Jianghu.
For Ji Qing, the second method was clearly more suitable.
He had Origin Points; as long as he could find superior internal arts that cultivated the Extraordinary Meridians, he could directly use Origin Points to improve.
However, without superior internal arts at present, Ji Qing could only use the old method, opening the Extraordinary Meridians bit by bit with his own internal energy.
Fortunately, his internal energy was extremely pure.
Even relying on his own internal energy to open the Extraordinary Meridians would definitely not be a problem.
It just required time, not something that could be done in ten days or half a month.
To open one Extraordinary Meridian, it would take at least a year or so.
This was already considered very fast.
“Second-Rate Internal Energy Arts are hard to find and can be sought slowly, but saber technique is already urgent…”
Ji Qing murmured softly.
His saber technique, even with Thirteen Fast Blades at perfection, was essentially still just a Third-Rate Saber Technique.
It would naturally be better to directly find a Second-Rate Saber Technique, but that was also very difficult.
Once martial arts reached Second-Rate in Jianghu, they were renowned and could be passed down as unique ultimate techniques—how could they circulate in Jianghu?
To improve his saber technique, Ji Qing still had to “pile up” with Third-Rate Saber Techniques.
Second-Rate martial arts were rare in Jianghu, but Third-Rate martial arts were plentiful.
Thus, Ji Qing immediately got up and left the courtyard.
He wore a conical hat and went to Listen to the Wind Tower.
Ji Qing was not going to buy intelligence.
Intelligence at Listen to the Wind Tower was too expensive; for news that was not extremely secretive, there was no need to buy intelligence.
There was a tea house at Listen to the Wind Tower.
The tea house was basically filled with Jianghu people, all sorts from all walks of life crowding in.
Everyone chatted and compared martial arts, and much Jianghu information could be obtained in the Listen to the Wind Tower tea house.
And it was free.
At most, it cost the price of a cup of tea.
This was far more cost-effective than buying intelligence.
Therefore, many Jianghu people were willing to go to the Listen to the Wind Tower tea house to hear some interesting Jianghu stories or see if they could get some useful news.
Ji Qing arrived at the Listen to the Wind Tower tea house, ordered a cup of tea, and quietly savored it by the window.
The tea house was now hotly discussing matters of the “Jianghu Ranking”.
“Everyone, Ling Xiao Pavilion has released the Villain Ranking again. The biggest change and most attention-grabbing is naturally Ji Qing. He was previously Eighth on the Villain Ranking, but now, thanks to the Lei Family Fort Massacre, he has rocketed to Fifth on the Villain Ranking!”
“Rumor has it that Ji Qing cultivates an evil cultivation technique that requires severing emotions and humanity, taking pleasure in killing, so he killed his parents and slaughtered the entire Ji Residence. Now he has even slaughtered the entire Lei Family Fort.”
“Ji Qing already has a title: ‘Heartless Saber’. It’s said that Ji Qing’s saber technique focuses on speed, is heartless and ruthless, draws blood with every strike, and is terrifying to the extreme!”
“The government has raised the bounty on ‘Ji Qing’ again, directly to three thousand taels! Tsk tsk, if I could catch Ji Qing, those three thousand taels of silver would be mine?”
“Still dreaming? Ji Qing could slaughter the entire Lei Family Fort, and before that he killed the Eighteen Riders of the Great Desert and the Three Oddities of Lingdong. He must be a Second-Rank Martial Artist. If you really encountered Ji Qing, you’d probably not even block one saber strike.”
“Ji Qing is indeed rampant and infamous, but Qingzhou’s top constable, Chasing Wind Blade Du Chen, is already pursuing Ji Qing. With Du Chen’s strength, he will surely capture Ji Qing and bring him to justice!”
“It’s said that the Lei Family Fort Massacre was personally pursued by Chasing Wind Blade Du Chen after Ji Qing, but he arrived one step late and failed to save Lei Family Fort from Ji Qing…”
The tea house had a lot of news about the “Villain Ranking”.
“Ji Qing” had thoroughly become famous in Jianghu, even earning the title “Heartless Saber”.
However, this was an “infamous reputation”.
“The Lei Family Fort incident is being pinned on me?”
Ji Qing frowned.
He naturally knew about the Lei Family Fort incident.
It was all skin puppets controlled by the Skin-changing Demon.
How did it become him slaughtering the entire Lei Family Fort?
Ji Qing listened carefully again.
He discovered it was news released by Chasing Wind Blade Du Chen.
“Chasing Wind Blade Du Chen…”
Ji Qing understood.
Chasing Wind Blade Du Chen had been pursuing him all along.
The greater his fame, the more notorious and infamous he became, the greater the merit for Du Chen if he caught him.
“You want me to take the blame? Then let’s see how capable you are…”
A glint of killing intent flashed in Ji Qing’s eyes.
He didn’t mind the infamous reputation, but he didn’t want to take the blame for no reason.
Especially since someone wanted to use him to make a name for themselves.
If Du Chen came chasing, it would be a contest of whose saber was faster.
“Pa”.
Suddenly, the tea house great door was pushed open.
A woman in tight-fitting clothes with a graceful figure walked in.
The tea house, which had just been lively, instantly fell silent.
“Which hero is willing to fight on behalf of my Hundred Battles Sect? Internal energy, saber techniques, even gold and silver—I will offer them with both hands!”
The woman’s voice echoed in the tea house.
The Jianghu people who had just been talking loudly, faced with the temptation of gold and silver and martial arts, all lowered their heads and fell silent.
