Now it’s better.
Lang Songbai is dead.
Am I the next one?
Just thinking about it made Xiong Kun feel anxious.
But he was a bit better off than Lang Songbai in that he could let go of his pride.
So he immediately made a decision to apologize in person.
Even if it meant kneeling to beg for mercy, it was better than being punched to death.
Thus, Xiong Kun immediately ordered that a grand gift be prepared, intending to go to Guangde Square to apologize, but Zhao Ya had already arrived before him.
Seeing Zhao Ya with a smile on his face appear before him, Xiong Kun was almost frightened to death.
But he quickly calmed down and straightforwardly said.
"Young Hero Zhao, I am not your match, so please spare me from testing your moves on me. Do as you please."
As he said this, Xiong Kun wore an expression of resignation.
Zhao Ya smiled.
This Xiong Kun, though crude on the outside, was much smarter than Lang Songbai.
Such a completely surrendered attitude really made it hard to strike him.
"You brought people to my house in the middle of the night with murderous intent, there has to be an explanation for that, right?" Zhao Ya said.
Hearing this, the apprehension in Xiong Kun’s heart finally settled.
Because he knew he had bet correctly.
At least his life was spared.
"Just say the word, as long as you don’t kill me, any condition is acceptable." Xiong Kun said frankly.
"What if I tell you to betray the Four Seas Gang?" Zhao Ya said with a smile.
"No problem for me, but I suspect my subordinates might not listen, so once I betray them, I can only leave Yan Capital City to avoid trouble."
"Of course, for me, it’s not a big deal. At worst, I’d continue to roam the Jianghu, so just give me the word, and I’ll betray the Four Seas Gang now."
Looking at the straightforward Xiong Kun, Zhao Ya waved his hand, "Forget it, your Four Seas Gang is good at bullying the weak, but otherwise, it’s just like a pile of loose sand. Whether you betray them or not doesn’t matter."
"Let’s do it this way; I’ve heard that your Horizontal Refining Skill is pretty good. Let me take a look, and this event will be over."
"Alright!"
Though the cultivation technique was important, his life was more so.
Therefore, Xiong Kun offered the Horizontal Refining Technique he practiced without hesitation.
Zhao Ya took it and flipped through it, confirming there were no issues.
This Xiong Kun wouldn’t dare to give a fake technique to deceive him.
So he tucked the technique away and smiled at Xiong Kun.
"You know how to adapt."
With that, Zhao Ya leaped and disappeared quickly.
Only after making sure Zhao Ya had truly left did Xiong Kun exhale a long breath, wipe the cold sweat off his forehead, and make a firm decision.
For the time being, he would not go anywhere but stay home pretending to be sick.
Because he sensed that with Zhao Ya’s rise, the already restless Yan Capital City would undoubtedly face stormy waves.
Let alone other things, the Profound Sun Sect definitely wouldn’t sit idly by, and once the Three Sects, Two Academies, and One Manor got involved, the situation would really heat up.
In such circumstances, he was merely an insignificant character.
To survive, the only way was to stay away from the whirlpool of trouble.
And indeed, just as Xiong Kun foresaw.
When the news spread that Zhao Ya struck Lang Songbai of the Four Seas Gang dead with one punch, the entire Yan Capital City was in an uproar.
Previously, the news of Zhao Ya battling Jin Cunyue and "severely injuring and repelling" him wasn’t widely known.
After all, the Four Seas Gang wouldn’t spread this deliberately, and Wang Tiancheng along with Xu Niannian weren’t the type to gossip.
So many people only knew about a fierce battle having taken place at Xiaojing Alley during the rainy night in Guangde Square, yet few knew its reasons and outcomes.
However, the matter with Four Seas Gang was different; Lang Songbai was a renowned figure among the common folk.
His mere title of the Sea Lord of the Four Seas Gang was enough to keep people at a respectful distance.
Now, he was punched to death at his very stronghold; the anticipated commotion was enormous.
For a while, the streets and alleys of Yan Capital City buzzed with discussions about this event.
Many were anxious to see how Four Seas Gang would respond, whether they would launch a large-scale assault or target only Zhao Ya for assassination.
Those timid enough were jittery, fearing that the turmoil might involve them.
Yet something strange happened.
Faced with such a grave provocation, the Four Seas Gang surprisingly remained indifferent.
Not to mention launching an assault, they didn’t even make the most basic declaration.
As if this incident hadn’t happened at all.
This bizarre attitude left many people puzzled.
Some believed that the Four Seas Gang was planning in secret and might unleash a thunderous strike at any time.
While others thought perhaps this matter would pass just like that.
Regardless, Zhao Ya has become the most prominent young expert in the entire Yan Capital City.
Many people were discussing his origins, marveling at his age and cultivation level.
However, besides these meddling ordinary folks, some observant individuals also noted that the Three Sects, Two Academies, One Manor, and major families surprisingly hadn’t made any statement on this matter either.
Especially the Profound Sun Sect, as the overall backer of the Four Seas Gang, their silence was almost frightening.
For a time, the entire situation became incredibly unpredictable and mysterious.
Zhao Ya, however, didn’t bother with these matters.
Lang Songbai died because he provoked him first and wasn’t capable enough to withstand even one punch.
Xiong Kun did not die because he was quick to adapt and had never challenged Zhao Ya throughout.
As for how others reacted, Zhao Ya couldn’t care less.
Now, Zhao Ya had enough strength to support him in doing what he wanted.
Not to boast, but in Yan Capital City, there were fewer than five who could take him on.
With such strength, Zhao Ya naturally acted without hesitation or concern about this or that.
Once he thought of something, he went ahead with it—just like that.
After returning home from the Celestial Cyan Sea’s stronghold, Zhao Ya began studying the Horizontal Refining Technique that Xiong Kun presented.
This technique was fundamentally different from the Golden Body Technique that Zhao Ya previously practiced.
The Golden Body Technique strengthens the superficial skin, while Xiong Kun’s Horizontal Refining primarily targets the muscles.
Upon reaching advanced mastery, one could even fortify muscles to be like armored flesh, which inspired Xiong Kun’s signature move, Flesh Armor.
This cultivation technique was hugely enlightening for Zhao Ya, at least opening up new paths.
Of course, he wouldn’t start from scratch like Xiong Kun.
With Zhao Ya’s current strength, just one reading and a bit of practice was enough for him to grasp the essentials.
After two days of practice, Zhao Ya succeeded in triggering a prompt.
[Golden Body Technique proficiency increased by 9%]
[Rank upgraded, obtained Golden Body Armor Technique]
Overjoyed, Zhao Ya immediately opened the attribute panel.
Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 20 years. Remaining lifespan: 1043 (+121 days) years
Skills: Eight Vajra Longevity Skill (Peak Performance 99%)
Five Tiger Fist (Returning to the Essence 99%)
Wind-Slaying Saber Technique (Extraordinary to Saint)
Light as a Feather (Returning to the Essence 99%)
Spirit Turtle Hibernation Technique (Returning to the Essence 18%)
Great Stone-Throwing Hand (Peak Performance 99%)
Great Vajra Fist (Peak Performance 99%)
Golden Body Armor Technique (Returning to the Essence 8%)
Little Five Paths Chasing Soul Leg (Peak Performance 87%)
[Gallbladder unlock progress: 47%]
After advancing to the Fifth Realm, Zhao Ya’s strength had accelerated into a fast track.
In just a few days, all areas had improved again.
However, Zhao Ya understood this was likely the benefit of consolidating his realm.
Once he passed this phase, the growth rate would slow down.
But no matter what, Zhao Ya’s current strength had already reached its peak.
Aside from the Great Vajra Fist and Great Stone-Throwing Hand, which needed specific elements, he had refined his other martial arts to the top level.
As for the Five Tiger Fist.
Zhao Ya felt that unless he achieved great breakthroughs in martial arts, entering the realm of Extraordinary to Saint would be quite difficult.
Closing the attribute panel, Zhao Ya slowly exhaled a breath.
Walking outside, he said to Shang Jingchuan, who was talking to Shang Luoluo, "Are you on duty today?"
"Yes, I am."
"Good, then I’ll accompany you to stroll around the Capital Prefecture."