The two exchanged blows in the courtyard. Relying on his improved physical condition after reaching the Blood Realm and his richer skills and experience, Chen Jing easily overwhelmed Li Huaxing. Even when Li Huaxing deliberately suppressed his strength and speed to make it seem less exaggerated, Chen Jing could always find a weakness and win the battle.

While sparring, Chen Jing also had time to think about his previous duel with his master and how to use his abilities and martial arts.

Noise Cloak is an off-combat ability, and it's difficult to find an opening to use it in the heat of close combat. Shadow Cloak is fast to cast but short-lived, so it can be used in conjunction with Noise Cloak. The Devious Blade and Dark Sword are just ordinary "attack effects"... how do you even combine them?

Chen Jing thought to himself that he was not good enough to put together a good combination.

Why does my master make me familiar with one martial art before learning the next? Martial arts are just simple skills with limited room for maneuver, unless you learn a lot and they create a chemical reaction between them...

Wait, my master taught me Shadow Cloak after I sparred with him; at the time, I only used the Deceptive Blade…

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Chen Jing's mind. Even in his fight with Li Huaxing, he made a slight mistake, allowing Li Huaxing to find an opportunity to close the distance with his sword and lose a round.

"We finally won!" Li Huaxing said excitedly.

Chen Jing was too busy to fight him anymore; he realized he had missed a crucial point.

Why should these abilities and martial arts be combined with each other, instead of being combined with the fighting styles that originally belonged to ordinary people?

Isn't it basic mechanic to weave basic attacks between skills?

The more he thought about it, the more inspiration he felt, and his eyes shone brighter. He quickly told Li Huaxing to practice on his own, then went to the other side to start thinking and pondering.

The techniques and tactics of mortals and cultivators are completely different, but they cannot be separated immediately. Instead, they can be applied to each other and complement each other!

Unfortunately… Chen Jing glanced at Li Huaxing, who was practicing. It was unlikely that he could perform the instant disappearance act in the courtyard. He also wanted to conceal the fact that he had become a Blood Realm cultivator, and wait until this sensitive period passed before letting the matter surface normally. This meant that many of his inspirations could only remain in his mind, preventing him from practicing on the spot and pondering as he practiced.

Chen Jing returned to bed, immediately closed his eyes, and wished the next afternoon would come early so he could go to his master's temple to practice and seek guidance.

Too excited to fall asleep immediately, he took out the borrowed myths and legends and began to recite the story of the Miracle King, completing the "homework" assigned by Pan Fengyu.

...

the next day.

Chen Jing walked into the alley where the Donglai Pawnshop was located. He was mentally prepared to leave as soon as he checked and found no one.

But when he went inside, he saw a huge, dark crowd.

Chen Jing had a premonition and squeezed into the crowd. Not long after, Chen Jing heard a voice.

"You will depart this morning as cleaners, scouts, and monster lures, assisting the core team in hunting slave spirits."

Mo Wujiang's voice came from afar, and it was very clear.

"This is the mission given by the Black Hand. Those who want to give up now can leave, and those who want to come should meet at the High Wall in 25 minutes."

Chen Jing heard the whispers and uproar around him.

Why so suddenly?

Chen Jing was somewhat bewildered, still clutching the dictionary and myths he had borrowed from Pan Fengyu.

I'm not ready yet! I haven't fully digested what I've learned from my cultivation!

But he quickly calmed himself down.

According to my master, my spiritual energy cultivation method should be similar to that of Cangxu, while Cangxu's cultivation method involves infiltrating other sects to cultivate...

Therefore, infiltrating a gang into the underworld is the path I must choose.

Moreover, I also need to investigate the blood sacrifice and report it to my master; I cannot back down.

I don't want to wait for the mastermind to investigate and discover me, only to die an unexplained death. I'd rather approach the mastermind proactively, detect the crisis, eliminate it in advance, and take steps to avoid it or mislead others!

Well, I'm a Blood Realm cultivator now. With the help of Shadow Cloak and noise invisibility, I can survive unless I encounter an absolutely insurmountable situation...

Chen Jing gradually calmed down.

He knew that joining the Black Hand might lead to further investigation, and he might even be discovered.

However, if he doesn't join the Black Hand, he'll lose potential opportunities for cultivation, and his cultivation might stagnate. Once the Black Hand finds an opening and discovers the many flaws he's left behind, or once they capture those assassins, he'll still be exposed and will still die. Even if he escapes, his younger brother, sister, and master will face a much harder time.

Chen Jing made a decision.

He recalled a story from before he traveled through time.

In a storm, a car is driving down a dangerous mountain. You have a 70% chance of successfully driving down, while your driver has an 80% chance. What would you choose?

Chen Jing now understands that he will choose the former; he believes in himself.

I don't want to wait for fate to judge me.