The next morning,
Jiang Heng, carrying a small wooden box, once again arrived at Elder Wen's residence. He was escorted by a servant and asked to wait in the reception hall.
At this moment, inside the reception hall, there was already a young man with a simple and honest appearance waiting. When he saw Jiang Heng enter, he cast a glance at him. After the servant withdrew, the young man spoke strangely and inquisitively:
"You are Jiang Heng, right?"
Jiang Heng sat down on the left side and casually glanced at the young man, replying indifferently, "That's right. Who are you?"
The young man didn't answer but continued to ask, "Your cultivation level in the Body Refining Realm?"
Seeing the other person's rudeness, Jiang Heng frowned and his gaze turned cold as he said, "If you have something to say, spit it out. If it's nonsense, get out."
The young man's face darkened, and he glared at Jiang Heng.
Just as he was about to speak, they heard faint footsteps from outside. Immediately, the young man concealed all his expressions, adopting an appearance of simplicity and honesty, sitting quietly across from Jiang Heng.
The figure of Elder Wen appeared in the distance outside the door.
The young man immediately stood up and respectfully called out, "Master!"
Elder Wen nodded casually and walked to the door.
Jiang Heng then stood up and greeted, "Elder Wen!"
"Please be seated," Elder Wen said.
Sitting in the first seat, Elder Wen took out an envelope and looked at the two of them.
"This contains an overview of the mission. You'll look it over later. For specific information, when you arrive at the mine, the owner will provide you with the details."
"Both of you will go together, with Jiang Heng as the leader. Try to apprehend all those responsible for the robbery. Understand?"
"We understand!" Both of them nodded seriously.
"Go then!"
They stood up and took their leave.
After leaving Elder Wen's residence, the young man suddenly sneered.
"A mere Outer Sect disciple at the Body Refining Realm, relying on flattery, was actually appointed as the mission leader. It's truly laughable!"
"Kid, have you grown some balls?"
Jiang Heng stopped in his tracks, turned to look at the young man, and asked, "What's your cultivation level?"
"I'm at the 7th level of the True Qi Realm!" The young man answered proudly.
"In that case, rest assured."
"What do you mean by that?"
The young man was slightly stunned, but he saw Jiang Heng's blood and energy surging within him.
"It's enough for me to handle."
Jiang Heng placed the wooden box he was carrying aside and then spoke in a serious tone.
"Come on! Let me see the strength you're so proud of!"
A dense crimson aura enveloped Jiang Heng, like a blood-red cloak.
His blood surged like a mighty river, and the air around him twisted and howled.
He threw a punch that resembled a meteor falling from the sky, causing the air to moan. Even before the fist landed, the intense pressure it generated made the young man's long hair flutter, his clothes rustle, and even his breathing became difficult.
Just the act of unleashing the punch created pressure that was felt by the young man.
"What kind of explosive power is this?" the young man roared inwardly. He quickly drew the long knife from his back and swung it, enveloping the blade with red True Qi.
Treasure weapons, when wielded by True Qi Realm warriors, could unleash their terrifying killing power. They were far sharper than ordinary weapons, and when combined with the formidable amplification of True Qi energy, their damage output was several times greater compared to when used by Body Refining Realm cultivators.
However, Jiang Heng was using the Heavenly-ranked "Golden Body Technique," which had increased his strength by at least half since breaking through. That meant he now possessed a body strength of at least 150,000 jin.
Adding to that, he practiced the Earth-ranked "Mountain Breaking Fist," which could amplify his explosive power by seven times. In other words, his strike packed a terrifying explosive force of at least one million jin or more.
"Boom!"
Under the tremendous force, the young man's hand weakened, and the long knife was sent flying.
Jiang Heng's fist only slightly paused before continuing its forward assault.
The young man's expression turned from joy to shock. He felt an indomitable force surging from the fist.
Jiang Heng's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"When the 'Golden Body Technique' breaks through to the Heavenly rank, your strength increases by at least half."
In other words, he had a terrifying explosive strength of over one million jin.
"Boom!"
With a fearsome burst of power, the young man's hand went limp, and the long knife flew out of his grasp.
Jiang Heng's fist paused briefly before he continued to attack. The young man, with a terrified expression, released his inner True Qi, enveloping his entire body, and executed his martial art techniques to the fullest.
He moved like drifting willow leaves, swaying with the wind, barely evading Jiang Heng's punch.
"You think you can dodge?" Jiang Heng sneered and activated his footwork. He lowered his left hand, turning it into a palm, and moved it like a serpent, minimizing the disturbances in the air caused by his movements.
As expected, the young man's evasive movement was slightly delayed this time, and he narrowly escaped Jiang Heng's pursuit.
Jiang Heng furrowed his brows. He had figured out the principle behind the young man's movement technique—it relied on sensing the flow of Qi. When an attack was imminent, it would inevitably disrupt the Qi flow, and at that moment, the body would instinctively follow the Qi flow to evade.
Understanding the principle made it easier to deal with.
Jiang Heng's figure moved again. His left hand formed a palm, moving like a graceful serpent, minimizing air disturbances caused by his movement.
As expected, the young man's evasion was slightly delayed this time. Jiang Heng's left hand reached out and grabbed his arm, while his right fist swung out forcefully.
"Wait..."
The young man's plea hadn't even left his lips when Jiang Heng's punch struck his chest.
"Boom!"
The young man's eyes bulged, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Another punch landed.
Several crisp bone-cracking sounds came from the young man's body as more blood sprayed out.
Jiang Heng grabbed his collar and pulled his limp body closer, looking down at him with cold indifference.
"Do you now know how to speak to me?"
"K...know," the young man stammered.
"Speak clearly. Do you know?" Jiang Heng asked again in his cold tone.
The young man, enduring intense pain, managed to shout, "I know!"
In just a short while, the young man was drenched in cold sweat. Jiang Heng released his grip, allowing him to slump to the ground.
"Take a small healing pill. Don't let it interfere with our mission."
Fortunately, the young man had brought some healing pills with him, considering the possibility of going out on a mission. He quickly retrieved one from his pocket, swallowed it, and sat down cross-legged to activate its effects.
While martial artists in the True Qi Realm couldn't further increase their physical strength, having True Qi surrounding their bodies provided excellent shock absorption and defense against powerful forces. So, despite his seemingly severe injuries, the young man's condition was only considered minor.
After taking the healing pill, the young man stood up shortly after.
"What's your name?" Jiang Heng asked indifferently.
"I'm Mi Wenjie," the young man replied honestly.
Jiang Heng nodded and walked forward.
"Let's go. You lead the way."
"Alright," Mi Wenjie sighed with relief. In his heart, though, he muttered, "Is this what they call a Body Refining Realm martial artist? Almost burst my True Qi Realm, True Qi Fifth Stage martial artist with such brutal strength. Are there really Body Refining Realm martial artists this fierce?"
"His attacks were too ruthless!"
Mi Wenjie continued walking ahead, secretly massaging his chest. With a martial artist's heightened sense of their own physical condition, he knew he had broken three ribs, and there were clear signs of fractures in several other places.
Although it wouldn't affect his daily activities, his combat strength would definitely be reduced by at least twenty percent for the next half month.
"I just hope I won't encounter any intense battles in the short term," Mi Wenjie sighed inwardly.