Under Lu Sheng's urging, a strand of Dark Destruction inner qi rapidly mobilized.

This time at the First Layer level.

Its scorching intensity had strengthened substantially. Lu Sheng felt like the muscles, bones and skin the qi passed through were aflame when harnessing it.

Dark Destruction qi emerged from both kidneys, flowing along his back and waist into the right arm before amassing inside his right palm and suffusing the long saber.

Swish!!

The saber edge cleaved loudly through the air with a paper tearing sound.

Then chopped fiercely into the tree trunk before him.

This slash deeply hacked halfway into the great tree before jamming to a stop.

"Excellent!"

Delight welled up in Lu Sheng's heart.

He knew this marked immense progress once more.

Still wracked with pain all over, Lu Sheng limped back toward the log cabin resting.

The next days he did practically nothing. Just mildly exercised while sleeping most of the time.

At most hastily circulating Jade Crane Skill occasionally. Its restorative might allowed even quicker and more potent bodily recovery.

He needed making preparations for the upcoming dual breakthroughs to second layer.

The fragmented Dark Destruction manual had three whole cultivatable layers!

Jiu Lian City Lu Manor

Carrying a basket, Yu Jie carefully maneuvered out the manor's side gate. The basket contained some boiled eggs, soybean cakes and two strips of smoked bacon.

Exchanging pleasantries with the gatekeeper, she headed out along the small alley.

Some children with braided pigtails raced by fighting over a candied haws skewer the front kid held.

Yu Jie sighed at the scene. Recalling little Xiao Ba's similar preciousness endlessly scurrying around her begging for candies when small.

She was just over a dozen herself back then. Occasionally able to scrounge some spare change from work to secretly stash away instead of handing to parents. Using it buying little Xiao Ba snacks. He was only a toddler then probably.

But now... Thinking of Xiao Ba's current deranged mental state, sadness swamped Yu Jie inside.

After a stretch down the main street fronting the residence, as per her custom, Yu Jie recollected herself surveying goods at the various stands preparing surprises for husband and children during this rare rest day.

"Child, my child!"

Abruptly she spotted a disheveled woman blankly slumped at a street corner muttering to herself.

That face seemed somewhat familiar. As if seen before somewhere. Just temporarily unable to recall exactly.

She glanced over sympathetically for a few moments before taking out a cake from her own basket placing it before the woman.

"Eat up. Times are difficult... alas."

Straightening up while shaking her head helplessly, she turned leaving to continue shopping. No longer in the mood anymore after that depressing encounter.

Just feeling slight twinging pains on the arm grabbed earlier by that woman.

Cutting through this street brought her into an alleyway. Her home's shortcut.

Though more desolate, it greatly reduced travel time without the detour.

The lengthy winding alley had ordinary single story buildings over a meter tall on both sides. Muddy water and tossed garbage littering the ground everywhere.

Yu Jie examined her wrist. The grabbed area already reddening somewhat.

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"Inauspicious! So unlucky. Sigh... gotta apply medicine back home."

Stepping over a smelly puddle still splashed some grime onto her embroidered pink shoes, worsening her mood.

Vigorously stomping her feet to shake the muck off, she proceeded ahead another few steps.

Thud.

Abruptly colliding into someone.

Glancing up.

"Have you seen my child?"

Staggeringly, it was that same woman she just encountered!

Yu Jie only felt her heart thump while nearly leaping out from her chest.

She rapidly retreated several steps. Stepping straight into the nasty puddle without realizing.

"Y-y-you!!"

That woman's bloodshot eyes bored into Yu Jie.

"Child, my child!"

Yu Jie spun rushing to flee.

Slap.

A shriveled hand fiercely latched onto her arm.

"Have you seen my child?"

The woman maintained her wooden expression repeating the line.

"He..."

A sharp cry halfway cut off from the alley. Then silence again.

...

Three days later. Lu Manor.

Madam Liu Cui Yu knitted her brows seated on the wooden couch facing the kinsman of absent maid Yu Jie who came reporting.

"Sister Yu still hasn't gone back? She took leave to visit family three days ago already."

That peasant kinsman still reeked of farmland soils standing awkwardly inside the side chamber.

"Big sister always returns early on time. But her family waited and waited in vain so far. Growing worried on top of the frequent incidents lately in town, I was told to come ask..."

Liu Cui Yu shook her head.

"She did leave very early. Even took some dried meats and cakes from the kitchens. Where else could she go not returning after so long?"

Now she also felt somewhat concerned.

"Bad news, bad news!"

A panicked shriek suddenly emitted from beyond the room.

A panic-stricken maid rushed inside.

"Mistress! Terrible news! Something happened to sister Yu!"

"What occurred?!" Madam Liu Cui Yu promptly stood up, expression shifting.

That man's face also blanched as he stared at the maid running over.

"Sister Yu's body was discovered in an alley on the city outskirts. Already perished a few days based on condition!"

Those words instantly stunned Madam Liu and that man.

"Deceased..."

Liu Cui Yu muttered vacantly while sitting down again.

A few days later...

Lu Sheng meticulously experienced the saber blade's sensation in his hand.

Dark Destruction qi flowed from inside into the blade. Resembling hot air slowly welling up from within before rapidly diluting and uniformly distributing across the whole saber.

His injuries already near fully recovered.

He planned on once more raising Dark Destruction Skill's level today. Attaining Second Layer.

His physique progressively acclimated better toward Dark Destruction qi's irritation. Elevating levels should induce relatively lighter harm than past.

Swish!

He commenced Black Tiger Saber Technique practice.

Its three core moves could be decomposed into dozens of variants.

He combined personally comprehended variations together with some from Zhao Bo's instruction into a far more elaborate integrated saber method.

On the open space before the log house, Lu Sheng gripped his long saber while silvery saber radiance flickered about his whole body amidst unrelenting rends piercing the air.

The dazzling saber light practically enveloped him entirely as it whirled around.

Black Tiger Saber Technique stressed momentum and abundant chopping moves granting rather ferocious sensations during practice.

Lu Sheng repeatedly performed those three core moves dozens of times. Inner qi and blood seethed while Dark Destruction qi occasionally infused his saber boosting maneuver strength.

Sensing the qi and blood tide's peak, he quickly sheathed his weapon while muttering inwardly.

"Navy blue!"

The modification interface emerged.

Lu Sheng's actions turned swift. Pressing the modify button, he concentrated his spirit onto the Dark Destruction Skill column.

"Raise Dark Destruction Skill one level!"

His thoughts solidified.

Snap. Promptly Dark Destruction Skill's status ascended from First Layer to Second Layer.

Albeit slightly more sluggish than previously.

Right after modifying it.

Lu Sheng felt the Dark Destruction qi inside abruptly erupt. Vast amounts emerged out of thin air rapidly amassing into two fist-sized clusters stationed around both kidneys.

"Looks like better physique accommodation this time. Moreover Second Layer purely expands the total Dark Destruction qi. Should be fine."

Lu Sheng read the manual before. Recognizing Second Layer as the safest level. Hence daring to directly break through while saber training.

Post Second Layer promotion, Lu Sheng sensed prior reserves emptied again.

Especially Jade Crane Skill's accumulation.

Through his daily diligent cultivation, this life nourishing qi method already commenced condensing and coalescing. Manifesting an agglomerated qi lump inside his chest.

That lump indicated arriving at the qi strand thickness limit before naturally increasing reserves.

Yet a single Dark Destruction Skill breakthrough instantly depleted that entire Jade Crane Skill lump completely clean!

Not just that, even forcefully shriveling his formerly thick Jade Crane Skill qi into embroidery needle sizes abruptly!

After successfully attaining Second Layer, Lu Sheng's heart settled somewhat. Roughly the time for lunch now based on reckoning.

"Young Master, new letter delivery!"

Xiao Qiao walked in through the yard gates carrying the provisions box. One hand lifted up a sealed red wax yellow envelope.

"Let me see."

Lu Sheng sheathed his saber hanging by the side.

Accepting the envelope from Xiao Qiao's hands.

Unfolding the extracted letter, after swiftly skimming through it, his expression subtly darkened. He carefully refolded and put away the message.

"Xiao Qiao. It's time we headed back."

He indifferently stated.

"Return to Lu manor?"

Xiao Qiao was pleasantly surprised by this.

"That's right. Home." Lu Sheng nodded.

The pair swiftly packed up belongings and luggage. After the meal they rushed toward Jiu Lian City leaving a note by the yard gates.

From the log cabin's location to the city took around seven to eight miles on foot.

Lu Sheng had a long saber strapped behind his waist. Just ordinary refined steel without any reputation. But thick and sturdy resisting damage.

Hurrying all the way, tiny Xiao Qiao was already exhausted halfway through. Forced to carry her partway before she could continue on.

Presently cultivating Dark Destruction Skill while also strenuously training saber techniques daily, Lu Sheng's physique was far sturdier than in the past.

Especially from that skill's stimulation and strengthening.

Feeling nourished muscles and bones with each steaming hot inner qi cycle.