Chapter 27: Three Martial Arts Level Up at Once

During the day, he killed Star Demons, and at night, he stayed near Zhang Hua and the others.

The next day, Jiang Changkong continued hunting Star Demons, this time until 4 p.m.

Essence: 43,830.

He directly perfected the Three Blades to Sever Water, successfully upgrading it to Three Blades Without Trace!

The Star Power within his body also increased significantly once more, perfectly merging.

If cultivating only the Bronze Skin Iron Bone Technique gave him a Star Power of one, and perfecting the Tai Chi Fist Scripture made it two,

then perfecting Three Blades Without Trace made it three.

This was nearly three times the Star Power of others at the same level!

Jiang Changkong even wondered if he could infinitely increase his Star Power by cultivating more foundational techniques.

But after some thought, he gave up on the idea.

Not only would it require an immense amount of Essence, but there was also bound to be a limit.

Focusing entirely on the stellar qi stage would only hinder his progress.

Three martial arts were already sufficient.

For close-quarters combat, he had the Tai Chi Fist Scripture.

For weapon-based killing, he had Three Blades Without Trace.

For defense, he had the Bronze Skin Iron Bone Technique—he lacked nothing.

Without hesitation, he upgraded all three martial arts simultaneously.

The Star Power within his body increased again, automatically circulating and refining itself.

In his mind, waves of insights surged forth.

The Star Power automatically followed new pathways, condensing from the previous qi mass into a cloud-like form.

Condensing qi into a cloud—he had entered the Star Cloud Level!

Although Jiang Changkong couldn’t yet use Internal Vision, he could sense the formation of the cloud.

His physical strength also increased dramatically, and his bones once again crackled like popping beans.

A bronze glow shimmered across his skin, and every rustle of grass or stir of wind fell within his perception.

His five senses were enhanced!

A qi mass within his body rapidly circulated, and a Taiji Diagram manifested from within, appearing both inside and outside.

The Taiji Diagram seemed both real and illusory, substantial yet ethereal.

Jiang Changkong: Early Star Cloud Level.

Low-Grade Mid-Tier Martial Arts:

Bronze Skin Iron Bone Technique: Beginner 1/1000

Tai Chi Fist Scripture: Beginner 1/1000

Three Blades Without Trace: Beginner 1/1000

Essence: 77.8

His Essence had shrunk tenfold again, making him grateful he had chosen to perfect all three martial arts and upgrade them simultaneously.

Although the names remained the same, the three martial arts had grown significantly stronger.

The Bronze Skin Iron Bone Technique, when cultivated to its peak, could condense an additional Power Rune.

Not only would he become impervious to blades and spears, but even early Star Cloud Level Star Demons would struggle to break his defense.

Once the beginner stage was fully mastered, attacks from early Star Cloud Level Star Demons could be ignored entirely.

The Tai Chi Fist Scripture cultivated both internal and external aspects. The qi cloud within his body could transform into a Taiji Diagram, protecting his internal organs.

The ability to deflect force had also improved. At the early Star Cloud Level, he could deflect 80% of an attack’s force.

Against mid-level opponents, he could deflect 60%, late-level 40%, and peak-level only 20%.

More importantly, the Taiji Diagram could now leave his body to engage enemies!

Three Blades Without Trace, evolved from Three Blades to Sever Water, no longer severed water but left no trace with the blade, killing without shedding blood.

The three blades had simple names: Draw the Blade Without Trace, Wield the Blade Without Trace, Sheathe the Blade Without Trace.

Although he hadn’t used them yet, Jiang Changkong had no doubt about the power of Three Blades Without Trace.

After savoring the boost in his strength, Jiang Changkong continued flipping through the notebook.

The notebook recorded water sources nearby, which he could search for tomorrow.

At dawn, confirming that the others wouldn’t be traveling, Jiang Changkong shouldered his backpack and slipped into the weeds.

When he encountered a Star Demon this time, he waved his hand, sending a Taiji Diagram flying out.

Boom!

The Taiji Diagram descended, and the peak stellar qi Star Demon exploded instantly.

Essence: 50.

Even the Star Stones had shrunk along with it. Jiang Changkong felt a bit frustrated, but it was still acceptable.

In the wasteland overrun by Star Demons, Jiang Changkong fought his way through, extracting Essence as he headed toward the water source.

An hour later, Jiang Changkong pushed aside the overgrown weeds, revealing a river flowing slowly ahead.

The water was clear. Since the proliferation of Star Demons and the radiation of Star Power, even the river water had been purified.

The sweet, crystal-clear river allowed every swimming fish to be seen distinctly.

There were no Star Demons by the riverbank. Jiang Changkong opened his backpack and took out his water bottles.

He hadn’t thrown away the empty bottles—no one would here, as everyone relied on them to carry water.

After filling all five empty bottles, Jiang Changkong gulped down one bottle and refilled it.

Thud, thud.

The ground suddenly trembled, accompanied by slightly deafening footsteps and the faint, low growls of Star Demons.

Jiang Changkong’s expression shifted slightly as he turned sharply. Eight Star Demons appeared, led by one at the early Nebula level.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief—this group of Star Demons was something he could handle easily.

Roar!

The Star Demons spotted him and, with a fierce roar, lunged forward.

Setting down his backpack, Jiang Changkong charged straight at them, Taiji following his movements.

A seemingly real yet illusory Taiji Diagram emanated from within him, extending several inches beyond his body and rotating slowly.

Boom!

The Star Demons’ attacks landed, scattering multicolored starlight in all directions, all of which were deflected.

Even the attack from the early Nebula-level Star Demon was deflected by eighty percent. Jiang Changkong’s fist descended.

Extreme yang force erupted!

Boom!

The Taiji Diagram shattered, leaving a bowl-sized wound that gushed blood. The Nebula-level Star Demon was sent flying backward.

Engaging in close combat, Jiang Changkong ignored the Star Demons’ attacks.

His fists struck true, each blow landing solidly. One punch pierced through a Peak Star Qi Star Demon, splattering Star Demon Blood, which was blocked by the Taiji Diagram.

This was a useful effect—it kept his clothes clean.

With a sweeping punch, the Peak Star Qi Star Demon exploded, its bones shattered, nearly turning into a mist of blood. Fortunately, he restrained his strength in time.

The severely wounded Nebula-level Star Demon, however, was provoked into a frenzy and lunged madly at him.

Jiang Changkong responded with another punch, this time striking its head and piercing straight through.

With the Nebula-level Star Demon dead, the remaining Star Qi Star Demons were even easier to deal with.

As the Taiji Diagram swept past, Star Demons exploded one after another, turning into corpses.

Extracting Essence, the early Nebula-level Star Demon, along with its Star Stone and corpse, yielded only 120.

Total gain: 420.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Jiang Changkong retraced his steps.

Along the way, any Star Demons he encountered were blown apart with a single punch.

With his improved strength, killing Star Demons had become even easier.

He continued killing until noon, with Essence nearing a thousand. Eating was a priority now, and he could keep an eye on them while doing so.

“What are these two up to?”

Just as he took a bite of Star Demon meat, he noticed Wu Jun sneaking away from the group with another person, acting suspiciously.

“Is this an opportunity for me?”

Jiang Changkong tossed aside the Star Demon meat and followed them.

He hadn’t forgotten how Wu Jun had nearly gotten him killed—that grudge remained.

His main reasons for following were to see the Special Star Demon and, more importantly, to settle this score.

Of course, he was also worried that Zhang Hua and Wu Jun might try to scheme against him without his knowledge.

As for Ji Ziling and Ying Yanxue, both were top-tier academic prodigies. Zhang Hua could only resort to petty tricks to annoy people.

Besides, even if they did play dirty, Jiang Changkong knew he couldn’t help much—he was well aware of his limitations.

A gentleman avenges a wrong, even if it takes ten years.

If even a gentleman could hold a grudge for a decade, how much more so someone like him, who was no gentleman?

The two arrived at a patch of overgrown weeds. The young man whispered to Wu Jun:

“I’ll get Zhou Wen out before four o’clock this afternoon. You hide and take care of her.”

Wu Jun’s expression shifted slightly. “Didn’t we agree it was just about playing the hero? Why are we talking about killing now?”

The young man sneered coldly. “One has already died before. Zhou Wen is becoming an eyesore. This is the senior’s intention.”

“The one who died earlier had Jiang Changkong to take the blame.”

Wu Jun was still reluctant. The previous death was caused by a Star Demon—at most an accident, and there was someone to shoulder the blame.

Now, dealing with Zhou Wen would clearly be murder.

“You’ve seen the news about Jiang Changkong. The mistake lies with you.

Besides, if you don’t do it, the senior won’t be able to protect you.”

The young man looked at him with contempt.

“Li Yuantong, you…”

“Save your breath. This isn’t up to you.”

The young man, Li Yuantong, snorted coldly. “Be in position before four o’clock.”

With that, he turned and left, giving Wu Jun no chance to argue.

Wu Jun’s face twisted in conflict. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “Fine. Then I’ll take care of Zhou Wen, and when I get back, I’ll deal with Jiang Changkong too. Everything will be hidden.”

Jiang Changkong’s gaze was icy as he quietly withdrew.