Chapter 40: The Sixth Stage, Blood-Nourishing Realm

"Are you truly determined to be so stubborn?"

Qu Zhe had never expected Yang Le to respond with such defiance after hearing his warnings. Instinctively, Qu Zhe’s hand moved to the hilt of the saber at his waist. "You are setting yourself against the entirety of Linqing City, all of Cizhou, and the Great Qian Empire itself."

"I am not against anyone. I only do what I wish to do. I said it is not here, so it is not here."

Yang Le hoisted the body of Xue Ting, which had transformed into a massive tiger after being decapitated. He peeled off the intact tiger skin and held it in his hand. "Please return. I do not like repeating myself."

"And what if I believe it is here?"

Qu Zhe studied Yang Le intently, his eyes flickering with indecision. None of the onlookers could fathom what was running through his mind, but they could see his grip on his saber tightening.

"Then draw your blade. Kill me, and you will know for certain whether the person you seek is in these Bamboo Mountains."

As he spoke, a flash of regret appeared in Yang Le’s eyes. The reason was simple: he realized that the tiger skin in his hand had been marred by a small tear in the abdomen due to his earlier sword strike. He made a mental note that the next time he killed a member of the demon race, he should aim only for the head to keep the pelt pristine.

"You are only at the Seventh Grade." Qu Zhe’s displeasure grew, but he suppressed his anger, gritting his teeth. "Even if you can slay a Sixth Grade, you are still only at the Seventh!"

"The Seventh Grade is enough to kill you, too." Yang Le looked up slightly and then swallowed the inner core he had extracted from Xue Ting’s body. "Besides, that was only the Seventh Grade of a moment ago."

In an instant, as Yang Le consumed the core, a surge of potent blood energy fused into his meridians. Under the gaze of Qu Zhe and the surrounding crowd, Yang Le ascended to the Sixth Grade.

The Sixth Grade: The Blood-Nourishing Realm.

Yang Le felt the blood energy surging within him, and then... nothing. Nothing else happened. Under the influence of his "Red Dust" trait, this breakthrough offered only a negligible improvement to his actual strength. His physical power increased slightly, his internal energy became more enduring, and his breath grew steady and inexhaustible.

The internal energy within his dantian seemed to surge with newfound vigor, attempting to dominate his core. However, in the next second, the sheer pressure of his "Divine Sword Intent," the "Red Dust" pride, and the sharpness of his "Small Sword" crushed that energy into submission. His Seventh Grade martial arts essence had been a subordinate; his newly broken-through Sixth Grade essence was no different.

The internal energy in his dantian quieted down instantly. It understood that even if he were to reach the Innate Realm, it would never be able to claim dominance over his dantian. For Yang Le, the only real difference between the Seventh and Sixth Grades was a slight boost in physical toughness. But Yang Le never relied on his physique or his cultivation level to kill; those were merely auxiliary. As he accumulated more traits, the sword in his hand remained his greatest strength.

"A bit lighter, but still usable." After completing the breakthrough, Yang Le hefted the standard-issue Great Qian longsword again. "However, if you wish to test it, this sword will suffice."

"You..." Qu Zhe stammered, "You've reached the Sixth Grade... just like that? So simply?"

Qu Zhe had initially wanted to strike. As a human martial artist in the Great Qian, he understood all too well the limitations imposed upon his kind. He had given Yang Le a chance, hoping to spare a young talent the same fate he had suffered. But Yang Le’s insistence on fighting left him no choice but to follow orders. Qu Zhe was a human, but he was merely a shell of his former self—a pawn for the demon race serving as a constable in Linqing City.

The sight of Yang Le breaking through to the Sixth Grade simply by swallowing a demon core left Qu Zhe stunned into silence. He had not wanted to fight earlier because he saw in Yang Le the spirited youth he once was. But while Yang Le still had the chance to pursue the path of a human martial artist, Qu Zhe had long since become a dog for the demons. Now, he was not only unwilling to fight—he was afraid. Years of experience told him that if he drew his blade, he would end up just like Xue Ting: dead in the Bamboo Mountains, his reputation tarnished by his superiors for incompetence.

He had children, a mother, a wife waiting for him to come home for dinner, and a martial path he still longed to follow. After weighing his options, Qu Zhe sighed and loosened his grip on his saber.

"Young man, I will not draw my blade today. But those who come tomorrow will not be like me. Tread carefully." Qu Zhe took one last look at Yang Le and turned to leave. "Linqing City is not a place that a Seventh Grade can navigate, and even at the Sixth Grade, you are not enough."

"I repeat: pass this sword, and you die."

Yang Le did not pursue him, merely stating his stance before turning his cold, indifferent gaze toward the others. Qu Zhe and his men retreated, but the rest did not immediately leave.

"Withdraw. This guy is not someone we can provoke. Besides, Xu Ruyan might not even be here. It’s not worth dying for a mere possibility."

"The scent of the Soul-Guiding Incense is everywhere in the city. It’s not worth offending such a powerhouse."

"Though, I am curious to see how the Xue family will react when they learn their scion, Xue Ting, has been killed."

As it turned out, Yang Le had been overly cautious. A Seventh Grade killing a Sixth Grade in one strike and using the victim's core as a supplement for a breakthrough—such a feat terrified the rogue cultivators. With Qu Zhe gone, they had no reason to stay. In moments, the crowd scattered like birds.

Yang Le glanced toward a dark corner to his right before turning and walking back into his small courtyard.

"He found us."

"Yes."

"Should we move in to retrieve Xu Ruyan, or wait and see?"

"A pure-blooded martial artist willing to protect Lady Xu. Let us pay him a formal visit."

Shortly after Yang Le departed, a man and a woman emerged from the corner he had noticed. Both wore tokens at their waists identical to those Yang Le had seen before. The black tokens were inscribed with the characters "Linghua Pavilion." The only difference was on the back: the woman’s token read "Pavilion Master," while the man’s simply read "Secret Sect."