C2 This Is so Violent!

In the dead of night, the ancestral hall exuded a chilling aura, and silent wisps of white vapor crept into the room. Zhang Nan was in the midst of a critical breakthrough. Having acquired the Celestial Conception, he briefly informed his parents before consuming it to initiate the transition.

With a muffled bang, Zhang Nan fully absorbed the pill's power, elevating his realm from the first to the ninth level of Qi Refining. The strength he now possessed was incomparable to his previous self at the same level; he could easily best ten of his former selves.

"The Celestial Concoction is wildly potent; I nearly didn't make it through," he mused.

Indeed, the ferocious power of the concoction had nearly overwhelmed him, almost causing severe injury. Thankfully, his solid foundation at the ninth level of Qi Refining allowed him to withstand the onslaught.

Nevertheless, Zhang Nan detected an odd scent emanating from himself, a byproduct of the breakthrough purging all impurities from his body. With no time for a bath, he instinctively began to practice the Three Revolutions Mysterious Heaven Technique.

This technique, a mid-tier Yellow Rank cultivation method, was taught at the Mysterious Heaven Academy where he studied. Zhang Nan's intent was merely to gauge whether his cultivation talent remained as potent as his memories suggested. The outcome, however, astounded him.

The Three Revolutions Mysterious Heaven Technique operated at a velocity tenfold what it had been, producing spiritual energy of a much higher purity. The Celestial Concoction had indeed transformed his cultivation aptitude.

If it weren't so late, he would have laughed aloud for joy. This was a momentous breakthrough! It signified that, under identical conditions, his progress would outpace others tenfold, and his power would surpass theirs.

Zhang Nan had always been a notable figure in the academy, cultivating the Three Revolutions Mysterious Heaven Technique to become a candidate for the top ten disciples. Now, eager to push his limits further, he commenced the Moon Clap technique, curious to see how it measured up against the Three Revolutions Mysterious Heaven Technique.

As the spiritual energy surged, a small cycle was swiftly completed. Zhang Nan couldn't contain a long howl as his body began to shake uncontrollably. Having completed just one cycle, he could already sense a significant increase in spiritual energy, which was also incredibly pure. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he reached Foundation Building.

What was most remarkable was that while practicing the Moon Clap, he experienced no bottleneck typically associated with breaking through to the next realm. What did this imply? It meant that with the gradual accumulation of spiritual energy, he could bypass the realm's bottleneck and break through directly. This was the true dominance of the Moon Clap.

It was clear that a cultivation technique practiced by someone of Tian Qiong's caliber was formidable indeed, befitting the Moon Clap's reputation. However, Zhang Nan quickly regained his composure. Such a technique, even if not of the legendary divine level, was bound to incite envy and fear among many.

Zhang Nan resolved to keep the Moon Clap a secret, not revealing it to anyone, including his own parents. The adage "to possess a treasure is to invite trouble" held true everywhere.

"You all didn't see this coming, did you? Not only am I not ruined, but I'm also advancing further," he thought to himself. "Just wait, this time in the competition, let's see who dares to stop me!"

Life was full of twists and turns; he hadn't expected his misfortune to turn into such a stroke of luck so quickly. He was certain to secure a spot in the top ten of the academy!

Three days later, with his parents' worried looks upon him, Zhang Nan boarded the train back to Starfall Academy. Settling into a seat by the window, he gazed out and pondered deeply. He had repeatedly questioned his parents about the ancestral hall and the jade pendant passed down through his family.

The answers, however, were disappointing. His parents knew only that it was an ancestral pendant and that their lineage included a once unparalleled expert. But with the passage of time, they assumed these were just family legends. If their family truly descended from such a powerful lineage, they reasoned, their circumstances wouldn't be so dire. Forced out of the city, they had retreated to this secluded rural area.

It was the jade pendant, a treasure his ancestors had entrusted him to safeguard at all costs. And so, he had never let it be pawned.

Thus, Zhang Nan kept the issues with the ancestral hall to himself, believing that silence was the best option.

...

"Who are you people, and what do you want?"

A piercing voice suddenly rang out, drawing Zhang Nan's attention.

A group of young thugs had encircled a beautiful girl, leering at her with predatory grins.

"Sweetheart, what we want is pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Don't bother resisting. Nobody's going to come to your rescue, even if you scream your lungs out. Better to just give in, hehe."

The gang leader, with a vile smirk, reached out to grope the girl's prominent chest, drooling with anticipation. It was a nauseating sight.

"Broken throat, broken throat!" The girl's naive cries only seemed to spur on the thugs' excitement.

"You're quite the amusing one, aren't you, girl? Let big brother show you something even more fun, something just for two..."

The thug leader, eager to pull the girl into his arms, filled the carriage with his vile laughter.

As the thugs pressed in, the girl's space to move shrank.

Onlookers sighed in resignation at the scene, turning away with expressions of distress.

Zhang Nan, unable to stand idly by, shook his head and stepped forward.

"How can you behave like this in broad daylight? Have you no shame?"

Zhang Nan's voice, though not loud, captured the carriage's collective gaze, but it was not admiration they offered—it was sympathy.

They seemed to think that by standing up to these thugs, Zhang Nan was sealing his own grim fate.

The gang leader turned to face him, and upon seeing the youthful Zhang Nan, he burst into mocking laughter. "Well, well, well, we've got a would-be hero here. How quaint!"

With a commanding gesture, he had his minions swiftly encircle Zhang Nan.

To them, Zhang Nan looked like an easy target, a poor soul without any backing, someone they could easily rough up.

At that moment, Zhang Nan realized something.

These thugs might have been rough around the edges, but their abilities were not to be underestimated.

The gang leader was a formidable opponent, boasting the seventh level of Qi Refining prowess. His cronies, though not as strong, still possessed the sixth level of Qi Refining ability. It was no surprise that their brazen behavior went unchecked.

"Kid, I'd advise you to stay out of this if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, I'll make sure you regret it!" barked the gang leader. His words barely out, his henchmen were already jostling each other, eager to strike.

"Just you lot?" Zhang Nan responded with a dismissive tone, "A bunch of trash!"

His words set off a powder keg of rage among the thugs. The leader, seething with anger, launched a punch at Zhang Nan.

Boom!

Zhang Nan countered with a punch of his own, the sound of his palm strike reverberating with a thunderous echo.

Heavenly Sound Palm!

This was one of the skills from the Moon Clap, which, when channeled through the genuine energy of the technique, could reach a high level of mastery. A single palm strike had the power to summon thunderous roars and utterly decimate an opponent.

The grade of the skill remained a mystery.

Time seemed to stand still as the crack of splintering bone filled the air. The underlings mistakenly thought it was Zhang Nan's hand that had been shattered, and they jeered, "The boss must've broken the kid's hand, hahaha..."

But their laughter was cut short when the boss cried out in pain, his arm limply hanging by his side, leaving his followers with looks of dismay.

"What are you staring at? Finish this brat off for me!" he commanded.

Yet, Zhang Nan needed only three punches and two kicks to send them scattering, defeated and fleeing in disarray.