’The secrets of Dark Energy are truly profound.’ Yang Jing felt the Inner Strength within him growing ever more harmonious, a spark of enlightenment flashing in his eyes.

This training session had given him a much clearer understanding of Dark Energy, and his gains were immense.

He relaxed his stance, breathing lightly. The Dark Energy continued to circulate endlessly within him.

The night was deep, but his mind was clear and bright. He decided not to rest, instead shifting his stance to practice the Surging Wave Legs.

He hadn’t practiced this leg technique for long, but his understanding was built upon a solid foundation. Having already mastered the Mountain-Shattering Fist to the level of Dark Energy, his progress with the Surging Wave Legs was incredibly rapid. He was already on the verge of reaching the Bright Energy threshold.

Now, infused with Dark Energy, his understanding of ’jin’ was on a completely different level. With every kick, stomp, sweep, and thrust, he deliberately guided his Inner Strength down into his legs, attempting to unlock the gate to Bright Energy.

After countless repetitions, as he executed the move ’Wave Slapping the Embankment,’ his right leg swept through the air and suddenly let out a faint whistle.

WHOOM—

A surge of heat rushed from the base of his thigh straight to his toes. Yang Jing felt a tremor run through his entire body, as if something had just shattered within him.

When he looked up again, his surroundings seemed sharper and more distinct. His legs felt as light as a feather, yet they brimmed with tremendous power.

He had finally broken through to the Bright Energy level with his Surging Wave Legs!

He took a test step. With a single flicker of movement, he was already ten feet away—nearly fifty percent faster than before.

Pushing off silently with his toes, he floated upward like a willow seed on the wind. He landed without a sound, not even disturbing the chirping of the crickets in the corner of the yard.

Next, he tried the ’Upstream Against the Current’ technique. His legs moved in a blur, his figure darting across the yard, leaving three or four afterimages in his wake. The flow of his footwork was several times smoother than before, like true surging waves crashing against the shore—continuous and without a hint of hesitation.

To his delight, his leg technique and Body Technique now moved as one.

Previously, his footwork could never quite keep up with the speed of his punches. But now that his Surging Wave Legs had reached the Bright Energy level, his steps were as nimble as an ape’s. He could instantly create distance to evade an attack or stick to an opponent like a shadow during a fierce assault, perfectly complementing the Dark Energy of his Mountain-Shattering Fist.

He spun abruptly and unleashed a sweeping kick with his right leg. The force of the wind it generated was enough to dislodge a few tiles from the courtyard wall, which then fell to the ground with a SMACK.

The speed and power of that kick... it was more than twice as strong as before his breakthrough.

Yang Jing stopped, looking down at his legs with a flash of excitement in his eyes.

Reaching the Bright Energy level with Surging Wave Legs wasn’t just an improvement in the technique itself; it elevated his overall combat prowess to a whole new level.

His Dark Energy fist technique provided the offense, and his Bright Energy leg technique provided the speed. One hard, one soft; one for attack, one for evasion. The obvious openings in his offense and defense had vanished.

Now, with the boost from his Bright Energy-level Surging Wave Legs, his entire body’s strength felt even more formidable. He was no longer comparable to a simple Dark Energy Martial Artist of the same realm.

His Body Technique was as fast as a phantom, and his fist strength could penetrate to the internal organs. If he were to face someone like Zhao Meng again, he was completely confident he could end the fight within a few moves, even if his opponent came prepared.

A night breeze blew through the yard, bringing with it a hint of chill.

Yang Jing took a deep breath, calming his surging vitality. He stood quietly in the courtyard, his mind awash with thoughts.

’This is my advantage. It would be difficult for anyone else to replicate.’

’Everyone’s time and energy are limited.’

’Most people who want to go far on the Martial Dao can only focus on a single path. Only after hitting a truly despairing, insurmountable bottleneck might they consider taking up a second martial art.’

’My master and the other Martial Arts Hall Masters likely know more than one art; they just each have their own specialization.’

’But from what I know, although a few disciples in the Martial Arts Hall have taken up a second martial art, none of them have reached the Bright Energy level with it. They just practice it casually. Take Liu Maolin, for example. While focusing on the Mountain-Shattering Fist, he figured he had no hope of breaking through to Transformation Energy anytime soon, so he also started focusing on his family’s palm technique.’

’But I don’t have bottlenecks. While focusing on one primary art, it’s actually better for me to train in others simultaneously. With my superior understanding, I can make rapid progress and significantly increase my strength, even if I only spend a little time on them.’

...

「The next day.」

News of Zhao Meng’s and Qian Bao’s deaths spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys of West City’s various districts.

"Have you heard? Zhao Meng and Qian Bao of the Yiqi Gang are dead!"

"Oh? How’d they die?"

"No one knows. The bodies were mangled, looks like someone seeking revenge dealt a killing blow."

In teahouses and taverns, people were abuzz with the news, though it didn’t cause a major stir.

These days, with more and more refugees gathering outside the city walls, people driven mad by hunger were capable of anything.

The gangs inside the city weren’t idle, either. One day you’d be stealing my territory, the next I’d be burning down your gambling den. Violent clashes were a common occurrence.

Forget two Gang Leaders dying—even if an entire gang was wiped out, people would stop talking about it after a while.

A few people sighed with lament, thinking only that the Yiqi Gang had risen to prominence as quickly as it had fallen.

Not long ago, they had just crushed the Great Fortune Gang. Zhao Meng and Qian Bao were strutting around the Guang’an Square area, acting all high and mighty. Who would have thought that in such a short time, they’d end up as two nameless corpses in a dark alley?

"If you ask me, I’d bet the remnants of the Great Fortune Gang hired an expert to get revenge on the Yiqi Gang," a teahouse patron said, clicking his tongue. "Didn’t people say the Great Fortune Gang’s treasure was hidden somewhere the Yiqi Gang could never find? They must have used that money to hire a master. Think about it—Xu Tai died under mysterious circumstances. You think his men would just let that go?"

"Not necessarily. Think of how much territory the Yiqi Gang has snatched over the last two years. The line of people they’ve offended would stretch from East City to West City. It could’ve been any one of their enemies coming to settle a score."