It was early morning. The Flying Eagle City was bustling as usual.
The city was standing even before the founding of the Wind Roc Empire. Though not as bustling as right now, it was still a city with ancient roots.
Even a Nine Transformations of Soul Realm cultivator can know every secret of the city. Still, the Heavenly Emperor who founded the Wind Roc Empire managed to conquer it and add it in his empire.
Fu Mingwu stood in the small training yard behind the Cloud Wing Antique Shop, sweat dripping down his bare torso.
The morning sun had just risen, but he had already been punching the reinforced wooden dummy for two hours straight.
"Lightning Clap Fist!"
His fist shot forward with a sharp crack. The moment it connected, a faint blue spark of lightning erupted from his knuckles, followed by a heavy internal vibration. The dummy shook violently,slight cracks spreading upon its reinforced surface.
Fu Mingwu exhaled sharply, staring at his own fist in disbelief. His limbs felt solid yet strangely agile, like tempered steel wrapped in silk.
Every punch carried more weight, more speed, and that strange crackling power that seemed to come from deep inside his flesh.
’So this is what partially awakening a bloodline feels like...’ he thought, clenching and unclenching his fist. The Thunder Wave Horse’s bloodline had started to stir after he consumed the Blood Blaze Pill. It wasn’t fully awake yet, but even this small portion made his body feel completely different.
From the moment his bloodline opened, his felt his limbs went exceptionally strong. They were agile and powerful like a horse. The vision, the sensations, the stomps of horses are still within Fu Mingwu’s memories.
He looked at the pair of spiked knuckles lying nearby, the ones Long Ming had casually given him.
"That lazy bastard..." Fu Mingwu grumbled, wiping sweat from his brow. "He just sits around drinking wine, flirting with every woman he sees, and somehow has techniques and treasures like this. Meanwhile, I train until my bones ache and still feel like I’m crawling."
He punched the dummy again, harder this time. He kept using the Lightning Clap Fist technique. Each of his fist strikes was swift as lightning, with a faint noise of thunder accompanying it.
The more the thunder echoes, the more powerful the effect of the technique will be!
"But... I can’t complain. Without Senior Long, I would still be trash."
A small, determined grin appeared on his face as he continued training. " I will be strong. Only when I have the power can I keep myself and my sister safe."
In another room, the atmosphere was much hotter.
Fu Mingyu sat cross-legged on a soft mat, trying her best to focus on the rune she was inscribing. Golden lines flowed from her finger onto the talisman paper, forming the complex structure of the Golden Rock Shield, a defensive talisman combining Earth and Gold elements that Long Ming had taught her.
But it was difficult to concentrate.
Long Ming was sitting right behind her, "helping" with the process. His chest pressed lightly against her back, one hand resting on her waist while the other occasionally "guided" her drawing hand.
His fingers, however, seemed to have a mind of their own, sliding across her belly, tracing her sides, sometimes brushing dangerously close to the curve of her breasts.
Fu Mingyu’s breathing grew slightly heavier. Her cheeks were flushed.
"Senior..." she said curtly, voice a little strained, "if you want to grope my breasts, just do it openly and freely. Stop pretending to teach me while your hands wander everywhere. You’re making me mess up the rune."
Long Ming chuckled shamelessly, not moving his hands away at all.
"I’m just making sure your posture is correct," he replied innocently, but his fingers boldly cupped one of her soft mounds, giving it a gentle squeeze. "See? Your breathing was too shallow here. This helps with spiritual qi flow."
Fu Mingyu bit her lip, trying to suppress a soft moan. The Golden Rock Shield rune in front of her flickered unsteadily.
"You... shameless lecher," she muttered, but there was no real anger in her voice. Instead, she leaned back slightly, pressing herself against him. "If you keep distracting me like this, I’ll never finish this talisman."
" Well, as time passes, the rune diagrams will only get more and more complex. Not to mention, you won’t have the leisure to be free and draw talismans with peace of mind." Long Ming explained like a seasoned lecturer, " So, better start learning to work while being under pressure."
" Pressure of what? Your dick’s pressure against my ass?" Fu Mingyu replied curtly.
Long Ming grinned with pure shamelessness. His other hand slid lower, resting on her thigh as he whispered near her ear, "Then maybe we should take a short break?"
Fu Mingyu’s face burned red, but a small, helpless smile appeared on her lips.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Cloud Wing Antique Shop, Bing Luoyan sat elegantly across from two elders from Grand Eagle Academy.
The elders were polite but clearly surprised by the woman in front of them. Bing Luoyan carried herself with calm dignity, neither arrogant nor servile.
"Lady Bing," one elder spoke carefully, " We have tested your daughter Bing Luo Luo thoroughly. Her bloodline is exceptionally pure and powerful. May I ask which clan you belong to?"
Bing Luoyan smiled faintly and shook her head. "That is not important. What matters is Luo Luo’s future."
The elders exchanged glances but didn’t press further.
"Very well," the second elder said. "If she joins Grand Eagle Academy, she can start with a Noble Grade True Qi cultivation art right away. The academy will also provide her with the best resources and guidance."
Bing Luoyan chuckled softly. "No need for a cultivation art. I already have arrangements for that. Instead, please focus on giving her practical, usable resources, pills, spirit stones, weapons, and anything that can help her grow steadily. Techniques... she will not lack them."
Both elders were stunned by her composure and confidence. This was not the reaction of an ordinary widow running a few shops. Who exactly was this woman?
In the Zhuo Family mansion, the atmosphere was heavy with anger and ambition.
Zhuo Dicang stood in the main hall, facing his father Zhuo Xifeng and several core elders.
"Father, we cannot let this slide," Zhuo Dicang said coldly. "That bitch Bing Luoyan and that pretty boy working under her have ruined our plans with the Wen Clan. Not only that, the Cloud Wing Antique Shop has been growing too fast. They have a Noble Grade treasure hidden there. If we can take it..."
Zhuo Xifeng narrowed his eyes. "You want to move against them?"
"Yes." Zhuo Dicang smiled darkly. "I’ve already contacted some assassins from the Demon Blossom House. They are expensive, but reliable. We’ll also hire a group of mercenaries to create chaos. While they’re distracted, we strike the shop directly."
One elder frowned. "What about that mysterious young man? The one who helped Fu Mingwu win the hunt?"
Zhuo Dicang sneered. "Just a lucky pretty boy. Once we deal with the shop, he’ll have nowhere to hide."
Zhuo Xifeng slammed his hand on the armrest. "Do it. But be careful. I don’t want any traces leading back to us."
Zhuo Dicang bowed deeply, a cruel smile on his face.
"As you wish, Father. Soon... that woman and everything she owns will belong to the Zhuo Family."