374 Completing the Puzzle

“If you lack even this level of patience, how can you expect to accomplish great things in the future?” Jiang Yougeng berated his brothers, his eyes filled with contempt.

“Big Brother, two months is simply too long… We’ve never had to endure such hardship when we were in Qingzhou City,” his second brother, Jiang Youyin, responded with a pained expression.

Noticing the escalating tension, the youngest, Jiang Youchen, swiftly retrieved a long object wrapped in tree branches, offering it to his eldest brother. “Big Brother, I’ve saved this for you.”

“What is it?” Jiang Yougeng asked, despite already having a suspicion.

Upon unwrapping the object, he discovered an arm, apparently that of a Six Pavilion Lake disciple.

“How could you carry around something like this?” Jiang Yougeng scolded, though his face betrayed no true anger. Instead, he seized the arm and began to consume it greedily.

As his younger brother had pointed out, they had never gone a month without consuming blood while outside. Within a few bites, Jiang Yougeng had devoured the entire arm, bones and all.

“Awesome!” Jiang Yougeng admitted with sincere satisfaction.

“Right, Big Brother? Compare this to the low-quality food we’ve had to settle for outside… the quality of blood food here is far superior,” Jiang Youchen argued, his words carrying a hypnotic undertone. “Consider that those capable of entering the bronze realm are all exceptional talents, having at least two or three full patterns. To use them as blood food… it’s nothing short of gourmet.”

Jiang Yougeng found himself swayed — the arm had indeed been tantalizingly delicious. “It’s relatively easy for us, each bearing three full patterns, to ambush and kill a lone person,” Jiang Youchen pressed further.

“But now… I don’t believe there are any individuals left in solitude,” Jiang Yougeng countered, still slightly apprehensive and fearing potential backlash.

“That’s where you’re wrong! We’ve already identified our next target… It’s the newcomer with the surname Zhou. I’ve been observing him. He’s always alone,” Jiang Youyin chimed in suddenly.

“Heh… It seems like you two have this all figured out.” Jiang Yougeng shook his head, a plan forming in his mind. “Here’s what we’ll do, we split into two groups. You two go after Qin Huai, while I create a diversion near the mountain wall to deflect suspicion.”

“Big Brother, isn’t that a bit overly cautious…” Jiang Youyin began to protest.

“Better to err on the side of caution,” Jiang Yougeng insisted.

“Alright, we’ll follow your plan!” Jiang Youchen instantly complied.

“Be careful. That Zhou fellow is formidable, so you must kill him in one blow!” Jiang Yougeng warned.

“Understood!” both younger brothers acknowledged, promptly darting in Qin Huai’s direction.

Their individual strengths could be deemed average or even slightly below within the present crowd. However, in the realm of ambushes and assassinations, they ranked among the top twenty contenders. Even those boasting four or five full patterns could potentially meet their end if caught off guard by these brothers.

The most crucial factor, however, was their numbers. While others roamed in packs, they specifically targeted lone wolves.

Swiftly traversing the forest, the two brothers traversed several miles with ease. “Second Brother, we’re close. Zhou Cunzhong should be encamped just ahead,” Jiang Youchen whispered.

Exchanging a glance, they stealthily approached Qin Huai’s cultivation site. After a moment, they found themselves standing before a hollowed-out tree, looking at each other in confusion. Jiang Youyin crouched down to inspect the hollow. It was devoid of warmth, indicating that it hadn’t been occupied recently.

“Let’s continue the search.”

Despite prowling the area for another few miles, their efforts bore no fruit.

…

Meanwhile, Jiang Yougeng was counting down the time.

“Given those two’s speed, they should arrive soon,” he mused, rising to approach the mountain wall. Abruptly, he froze, turning to regard a fast-approaching figure. “Why are you back?” he asked, an eyebrow rising in mild surprise.

The next second, his expression twisted in horror. The newcomer’s eyes blazed with a blinding white light, heralding the descent of an overwhelming power. Bamboo, locust trees, and pines within the vicinity were instantly flattened.

Stomping his foot down, Jiang Yougeng attempted to leap into the air. However, his legs felt heavy as if bound to the earth by unseen chains.

A massive force hurtled towards him in an instant.

“Forbidden technique, three beasts!”

Boom!

Jiang Yougeng’s perception broadened abruptly as he bore witness to his own disfiguration. In the following moment, his eyes burst, his facial bones shattered, and his skull caved in. The resounding explosion of his demise sent his body crashing to the leaf-strewn ground.

His body twitched spasmodically a few times before finally growing still. Qin Huai looked upon the corpse before him, his gaze devoid of emotion.

“Ding! You have collected a [Blood Heart Technique Essence], [Blood Heart Technique] experience +3%!”

“Ding! You have collected a [Wind Breath Technique Essence (Red)], [Wind Breath Technique] experience points +200,000!”

“Ding! You have collected a [Lanshan Kick Technique Essence (Red)], [Lanshan Kick Technique] experience points +200,000!”

“Ding! You have collected a [Wind Breath Technique Comprehension], [Wind Breath Force] +34%!”

A flood of experience instantly filled Qin Huai’s mind.

Qin Huai had been honing his skills in the hurricane of the mountain stream. He was mastering the control of his breath and body within the wind, learning to harmonize his movements with the gusts.

In the heart of the wind valley, he threw a punch, experiencing the raw power of the wind. Soon, a vein pattern appeared on Qin Huai’s leg bones, bearing the semblance of a mountain breeze. It was somewhat abstract, but it felt as though a thousand-kilogram boulder had been lifted from Qin Huai’s legs.

“Now, I’ve gathered all five cultivation techniques.” Qin Huai felt very satisfied, especially with the wind breath technique. He had managed to gather enough pieces to complete this puzzle.

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