Chapter 5 Cool, Cool, Cool (1)

Chen Zhou moved faster and faster, a deep sense of satisfaction rising in his heart. So this is what it feels like to practice martial arts?!

Strong and powerful—truly strong and powerful!

Then, suddenly, he felt a surge of strength welling up within him.

This power emerged from the qi and blood coursing through his body, like boiling magma. It roared within him, making his entire frame crackle with energy.

The aura around him swelled. Shopkeeper Qian, standing at the edge of the yard, felt as if a mountain was collapsing before him. He immediately stumbled back, falling to the ground with a thud.

"Oh, little brother, please put away your magical powers!" Shopkeeper Qian shouted in alarm.

Chen Zhou reluctantly halted his movements and turned to the stunned shopkeeper, who was still slumped on the ground.

"Shopkeeper, I suddenly feel a new power surging through me. What's happening?"

"I believe... you've broken through the [Refining Strength Realm] and entered the second realm, the [Hidden Truth Realm]."

Shopkeeper Qian struggled to stand, his hefty frame shaking. His smile carried a trace of bitterness.

At this moment, his mind was in turmoil. Was this a joke? This young man had just jumped from an ordinary person to the second realm after merely practicing a set of basic spear techniques?

A huge leap forward?

Was that even humanly possible?

He himself had been stuck in the [Refining Strength Realm] for most of his life!

The difference between people was truly greater than the difference between man and beast!

Chen Zhou paid no mind to Shopkeeper Qian's thoughts. He continued, "Please explain in detail."

"Okay..." Shopkeeper Qian took a deep breath, suppressing his shock before continuing in a trembling voice:

"The second realm, [Hidden Truth Realm], is defined by one's ability to condense martial true essence."

"True essence is born from the warrior's blood. The stronger the blood, the more potent the true essence."

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Qian studied Chen Zhou with complex emotions. The ability to condense true essence was largely dependent on one's innate talent.

It was precisely due to his lack of talent that he had never reached the second realm in his entire life. And yet, here was this young man... Best not to dwell on it, or he might die of anger.

"I see..." Chen Zhou mused, spreading out his palm. A transparent golden aura flickered over its surface, flowing smoothly like liquid gold—mesmerizing in its beauty.

Thanks to the shopkeeper's explanation, Chen Zhou now understood that the purpose of the [Refining Strength Realm] was to temper the body until it was strong enough to condense true essence.

But due to his unique ability [Conquering People with Virtue], his body had already met the requirements from the start, allowing him to advance directly to the second realm.

Now, when Chen Zhou threw a casual punch in his normal state, he could generate a force of roughly 2,000 kilograms. With the addition of true essence, that force would likely multiply four or five times!

"This true essence is truly remarkable. I've practiced an entire set of spear techniques—so this is what they mean by hard work bearing fruit."

Chen Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

Shopkeeper Qian's smile grew even more bitter:

"To be honest, I've never felt such a domineering true essence as yours. You must visit a martial arts hall and learn a proper training method—otherwise, this talent will go to waste!"

True essence was born from a warrior's blood, and Chen Zhou's bloodline was far superior to any warrior at the same level. Even standing near him, Shopkeeper Qian felt an overwhelming pressure!

Compared to Chen Zhou, the true essence of other warriors could only be described as:

Extremely weak.

Doing good deeds really does make one a king!

"I will," Chen Zhou replied, but not just yet.

He hadn't forgotten his original purpose. After all, wasn't martial cultivation meant for battle?

After bidding farewell to Shopkeeper Qian, Chen Zhou stepped back onto the street. Not long after, he noticed a commotion up ahead.

A panicked crowd surged toward him, mostly vendors clutching heavy bundles, looking like refugees fleeing a disaster.

Something was happening.

Without hesitation, Chen Zhou strode toward the source of the disturbance.

Rounding a street corner, he saw the cause: seven or eight thugs dressed in black, each wearing red waistbands, had surrounded a wonton stall run by a woman.

The leader, a man with a face full of scars, stood next to the woman, grinning lecherously: "Miss, you've worked so hard selling wontons today. As a reward, I won't charge you the first payment. How does that sound?"

The woman was quite beautiful. Terror filled her eyes as she lowered her head, trembling. Faced with such intimidation, she could only stammer, "O-okay..."

Unexpectedly, the thug leader chuckled and sneered, "That's not enough!"

He reached out, grabbing at her blouse. With a rough pull, he tore the fabric, revealing the undergarments beneath.

The woman let out a terrified scream, quickly crossing her arms to cover herself. The leader laughed wildly, and his lackeys joined in, their jeers echoing through the street.

A few vendors who hadn't managed to escape stood frozen, their heads lowered. None dared intervene, fearing they'd become the next target.

Chen Zhou immediately understood the situation. Even in his past life, he had heard of the Black Tiger Gang.

This was a notorious gang in the city, running gambling dens and illicit businesses. They acted lawlessly, but the authorities turned a blind eye, even labeling them as a "militia organization." Everyone knew the truth: the Black Tiger Gang and the government were in bed together.

Taking a quick glance, Chen Zhou walked toward them with smoldering eyes.

One of the gang members spotted him first.

"Boss Zhang, isn't that the Han family's son-in-law? His brother owes us a fortune!"

The thug leader also took notice. He glanced at the woman in his grasp before turning to Chen Zhou with a mocking grin.

"Hey, if it isn't the Han family's son-in-law! Your brother owes my gambling house a large sum. It's time to pay up, isn't it? Even if your pretty sister-in-law paid off part of it, the interest has already reached three hundred taels!"

Chen Zhou ignored him, his pace quickening.

Boss Zhang's expression darkened. It was well known that the second son of the Chen family was a fool. And now, this fool dared to act like he didn't hear him?!

"Grab him!" Boss Zhang sneered. "Let's teach this little brat a lesson—he's no longer under the Han family's protection!"

Everyone in Changqing County knew that Chen Zhou had been kicked out of the Han family. And yet, he still dared to act important?

"Got it!" One of the thugs grinned. Teasing fools was his favorite pastime.

He swaggered toward Chen Zhou, a cruel smile on his lips. "Hey, idiot, didn't you hear what Boss Zhang sa—"

Before he could finish, a hand grabbed his face with immense force.

Chen Zhou had already made his move.

With a single, brutal motion, he slammed the thug's head into the ground!

BANG!

The stone-paved street cracked.

The thug lay sprawled, his body twitching. Blood and brain matter oozed from the crater his head had made in the ground.

[Villain eliminated. Good deed value increased by ten!]