"Northern Liang Province has fallen. This great upheaval will bring many consequences."

Qin Fangqiong swirled the wine cup in his hand, his gaze profound. "Many of the major powers that were entrenched in Liangzhou are now frantically heading south. As a key transit point, Black Stone City is bound to be flooded with all sorts of unsavory characters. On top of that, Jian’an Prefecture and Qingzhou Prefecture to the south will also be sending their own forces to establish a presence. This Black Stone City will only grow more chaotic."

He looked at Qi Linfeng, Lin Wanzhu, and Su Yu, his tone turning serious. "Desperate times call for desperate measures! The three great families and the Black Stone Army have reached a consensus. The Law Enforcement Team will be officially expanded and promoted to the Public Security Bureau, in charge of the entire city’s defense and criminal justice!"

"This isn’t just a name change; it’s a centralization of power. When the time comes, the three of you will see your status in the Public Security Bureau rise, and the authority you wield will grow."

Qin Fangqiong instructed, "When that happens, gather a batch of your junior brothers from the martial arts hall—the ones you know and trust—and bring them into the Public Security Bureau!"

"Yes, Master!" the three replied in unison.

...

When the banquet ended, everyone left with heavy hearts.

When Su Yu returned to the Su Mansion, the sky was as black as spilled ink.

The news of Liangzhou’s fall weighed on his mind like a giant boulder. The sense of urgency, of a storm about to break, left him with no thought of slacking off.

’The chaotic era has finally arrived. Only strength is the foundation for survival.’

He went to the Martial Arts Arena and continued his training.

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

...

Su Yu didn’t stop until the hour of Zi, when he felt his body’s muscles and bones could no longer take it.

He summoned his panel and glanced at the data:

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Fist (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 1575/10000)

[Martial Arts]: Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 1350/7000)

[Martial Arts]: Black Stone Body Forging Skill (First Layer) (Skilled 1000/7000)

[Martial Arts]: Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step (Skilled 1850/2000)

[Breakthrough Point]: 0 points (Progress 95.2%)

...

’After all the fighting today, I can only practice White Ape Fist five or six times now. But my Skill Level for the Demon-subduing Saber and Thunder Collapse Step increased quite a bit during the battles.’

’Next, I’ll focus on breaking through the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step to Minor Achievement. My strength will get another boost then!’

’And the Breakthrough Point... I’m so close. I can almost save up one full point.’

...

The next morning, the sun had just begun to rise.

Su Yu was already on the Martial Arts Arena, deep in his training.

"Thunderous Shock Step!"

His knees bent slightly, and all the Qi and Blood in his body instantly poured into the Yongquan Acupoints of his legs. His great tendons tensed like a fully drawn bow, and his body vanished from the spot in an instant.

The next moment he appeared, he was already seven or eight zhang away.

[Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step Skill Level +5]

[Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step has broken through to the Minor Success Realm]

[Martial Arts]: Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step (Minor Achievement 1/3000)

’I broke through!’

In the next instant, Su Yu felt his comprehension of the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step rise to another level.

If the Skilled Realm was about accelerating with brute force and using the reactive force from friction with the ground, then the Minor Success Realm was about grasping the essence of Explosive Qi, even allowing one to perform Stepping in the Air!

"Thunderous Shock Step!"

Su Yu’s eyes narrowed, and his figure shot forward again.

This time, unlike before, the ground showed no signs of cracking. With just a single explosive BANG, his figure appeared more than ten zhang away, his speed nearly fifty percent faster.

"Seven Fiend Thunder Collapse!"

"BANG! BANG! BANG..."

The air exploded seven times in succession!

Su Yu’s body turned into a series of afterimages, like a thunderclap on a clear day, as he stepped on the void itself, actually rushing five to six zhang into the air!

The next moment, his body executed a graceful spin in the air, descended until he was three chi from the ground, then performed Stepping in the Air again to land softly.

’This is the Minor Success Realm’s Stepping in the Air! With this movement technique, my agility in combat will increase by a huge margin!’

A trace of joy couldn’t help but appear on Su Yu’s face.

’If I can already do Stepping in the Air at the Minor Success Realm, I wonder how powerful the Major Achievement and Perfection realms will be.’

He calmed the Qi and Blood in his body and began to think again.

’Now that Thunder Collapse Step is at Minor Achievement, my strength has improved considerably, but it’s still not enough. The next priority is to accumulate Breakthrough Points. I need to save up two points as quickly as possible and try to Break the Limit of the White Ape’s Six Transformations twice. I wonder what the effects of Breaking the Limit twice will be!’

’The first time, the Breakthrough Trait I got was Heart Monkey Clarity, which gave me the powerful effect of doubling the Skill Level I gain for White Ape Fist. The second time won’t be any worse.’

"My lord, the Jiang Family has sent someone with a delivery," Li Da reported respectfully, having come to the Martial Arts Arena.

"Let them in."

A moment later, an elderly man who looked like a housekeeper entered, followed by seven or eight sturdy servants walking in single file. One of the servants was holding a wooden bucket.

"This humble one is Jiang Kui, Housekeeper of the Jiang Family. Greetings, Lord Su." The old man’s attitude was extremely respectful. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Housekeeper Jiang, you’re too polite."

After straightening up, Jiang Kui took a brocade box from his robes and presented it. "Lord Su, I have come on the orders of my young master, Jiang Liuchuan, to deliver the trade route contract and this month’s share of the profits—a total of one hundred and twenty taels. In addition, the young master said to gift you a treasure fish, an Ice Perch, which is the fine item he mentioned he would give you before."

’An Ice Perch?’

Su Yu smiled. He hadn’t expected Jiang Liuchuan to be so generous, and a good person at that.

Even after losing to him, he hadn’t forgotten the fine item he had promised.

Su Yu took the brocade box, opened it, and checked the contract and silver notes inside. Seeing no issues, he accepted them.

"And what are these men here for?"

"Lord Su, the Ice Perch is alive. If you don’t plan to eat it immediately, you’ll need to keep it. However, the environment required to raise it is very demanding; the temperature must be just right. These men are here to help you modify your fish pond."

"Oh, this Ice Perch is quite interesting."

He walked over to the person holding the wooden bucket to take a look.

He saw that the wooden bucket was not made of ordinary wood, but of insulated ironwood. At the bottom of the bucket lay a Cold Marrow Stone emitting a faint blue light, maintaining the water’s low temperature. Small shards of ice could be seen floating on the surface.

And in the water, a fish about a chi long and translucent all over was swimming slowly.

The fish was exceedingly beautiful. Its scales seemed to have been carved from the purest ice crystals, refracting a halo of light under the sun. As it swam, it didn’t exhale bubbles from its mouth and gills, but wisps of white, cold mist, making it appear extraordinarily mystical.

"What a fine Ice Perch!"

Su Yu exclaimed in admiration. One look was enough to tell this was an extremely precious treasure fish, likely far more valuable than a Blackfin Pompano or even a Red Oil Fish King.

"Come, to the rear courtyard."

Su Yu led them to the lotus pond in the Inner Courtyard. He had already eaten all the treasure fish that were once in it, and now only some koi remained.

Jiang Kui carefully inspected the area and nodded.

"My lord, the location of this pond is excellent. Your courtyard happens to have a Fire Sun Stone formation, so the yang energy is abundant. We just need to bury the Cold Marrow Stone on the other side of the pond floor and guide the energies, and we can transform it into a Water-Fire Yin-Yang Pool!"

"One side will be warm, suitable for raising treasure fish like the Red Oil Fish King; the other side will be as cold as ice, specifically for this Ice Perch. With yin and yang in harmony, it will also be of great benefit to the feng shui of the entire courtyard."

Su Yu’s eyes lit up when he heard this.

’A Water-Fire Yin-Yang Pool? That sounds great.’

’If I get more treasure fish in the future, I can raise them all in here.’

"Excellent! Thank you for your trouble, Housekeeper Jiang. How long will the modifications take?"

"Three to five days will be sufficient."

"Good, begin the work!"