Breakthrough! Breakthrough! Breakthrough!

At this moment, Jiang Yun had no energy left to deal with them. After using the last trace of internal energy in his dantian to perform the Sword Drawing Technique, if he hadn't forcefully bitten his tongue to stimulate himself with pain, he would have likely collapsed from exhaustion.

"You, go and fetch the rope behind the door and tie them all up. Then tie your own hands and feet," Jiang Yun said, pointing at one of them while feeling weary.

The man acted quickly, fetching the rope and binding the other four. Surprisingly, he managed to tie his own hands and feet, securing them with tight knots. He approached Jiang Yun and instructed him to tighten the ropes.

Having escorted the five individuals to the back hall and gagged them with cloth, Jiang Yun called for Wen Wan to prepare to leave this place.

Holding the knife, Jiang Yun approached the unconscious body of Xiao Kuan. He plunged the knife into his chest, ensuring he would never wake up again. Then he reached into Xiao Kuan's body and found a small bottle and some silver notes.

Once Wen Wan finished tidying up and came out, she saw the two corpses in the main hall. She instinctively recoiled, but when she looked up and saw Jiang Yun walking towards her expressionless, he said, "Mother, this place is not suitable for staying. Let's leave first. If you have any questions, we can discuss them after we leave."

Jiang Yun's words interrupted Wen Wan, who had been struggling to speak. Since the situation was already settled, she didn't raise any further questions at this moment.

After a moment, Jiang Yun and Wen Wan left Qianjin Medicine Hall and quickly departed from the city.

Outside the city gate, Jiang Yun said to Wen Wan, "Mother, don't ask or think about anything. Just follow this official road straight ahead, and you'll reach the Zhao Kingdom in about half a month by carriage. Once you arrive in Zhao Kingdom, find a way to reach Daicheng and settle down. After one month, I will come to find you."

Upon hearing these words, tears streamed down Wen Wan's face as she shook her head in refusal. "Yun'er, I won't leave you alone. I won't cause you trouble. I'll wait for you at home, Yun'er."

"Mother, take these silver notes with you. When you reach Daicheng, find a house with a large red lantern hanging outside. That way, I'll be able to find you," Jiang Yun handed Wen Wan the silver notes he had found on Xiao Kuan's body and said firmly, "Mother, trust me. We will meet again in Daicheng after one month."

Seeing that Jiang Yun had made up his mind to send her away, Wen Wan knew that staying here would only be a burden. She no longer insisted on staying and could only wipe away her tears, which seemed to flow endlessly.

After wiping away her tears, Jiang Yun escorted her onto the carriage.

He turned around resolutely only when the carriage was no longer visible on the official road.

After wandering around the city gate for a few rounds to confirm the presence of acquaintances from the Xiao family, Jiang Yun still felt uneasy and decided to return to Yanjing City, where he found an inn to stay.

He needed to buy time. Jiang Yun had to secure seven days for Wen Wan to prevent the Xiao family from catching up to her carriage. Only then could he ease his worries.

In his previous life, Jiang Yun earned the name of invincibility through countless battles. However, back then, he was already a loner with no attachments. But things were different here. He had a mother he wanted to protect, so he had to fight for time on her behalf.

It was not uncommon for young masters like Xiao Kuan to stay out all night. The Xiao family might not discover Xiao Kuan's death until tomorrow, which made tonight the best time for Jiang Yun to enhance his strength. After tonight, it would likely be a prolonged and intense battle.

Inside the guest room, Jiang Yun locked the door to ensure no one would disturb him. He sat cross-legged on the bed and took out a small bottle he had found on Xiao Kuan's body.

It was a Body Refining Pill, a supplementary cultivation pill for reaching the third level of the Human Martial Realm.

Jiang Yun poured out a Body Refining Pill from the bottle and swallowed it. As the pill entered his mouth, he immediately felt an intense spiciness. He furrowed his brow, gritted his teeth, and chewed the pill before swallowing it.

The pill transformed into a tremendous spiritual energy in his abdomen, gradually spreading through his muscles, bones, and organs. He silently recited an incantation, digesting the spiritual energy formed by the pill.

Jiang Yun felt the surge of spiritual energy entering through his acupoints, and his body absorbed the nourishment of the spiritual energy like a dry riverbed absorbing the water of heaven and earth.

The spiritual energy continuously tempered his body. Jiang Yun could clearly sense the changes in his physical form: his bones became more resilient, his muscles became denser, and the excess fat in his body diminished under the tempering of the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy was like a blacksmith's hammer, and his body was the raw iron that needed to be struck repeatedly to forge an unparalleled sword.

While his body was being tempered by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, Jiang Yun simultaneously practiced the Yi Jin Jing technique with divided attention. Divided attention was a talent Jiang Yun had acquired in his previous life while training in dual-wielding combat.

He had a vague feeling that if the internal cultivation methods from Earth could merge with the cultivation practices of the Lingwu Continent, there would be unforeseen effects.

In Jiang Yun's perspective, the cultivation methods on the Lingwu Continent enhanced the physical body through continuous absorption of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, while the internal cultivation methods on Earth involved developing and exploring the human body's potential. These two approaches were complementary to each other.

As expected, Jiang Yun's cultivation of the Yi Jin Jing technique became more effective as his body absorbed the spiritual energy. The white vapor emitted from the top of his head indicated a sign of breakthrough.

Thanks to the assistance of the Yi Jin Jing technique and the Body Refining Pill, Jiang Yun swiftly progressed from being a waste unable to cultivate to achieving the complete understanding of the first layer of the Body Martial Realm.

The second layer of Body Martial Realm.

Jiang Yun broke through from the first layer to the second layer of the Body Martial Realm.

Seizing the opportunity while it was hot, Jiang Yun had no intention of stopping. He continued to extract the spiritual energy generated by the Body Refining Pill, while simultaneously tempering his body with the Yi Jin Jing technique. He cultivated both internally and externally, using the internal force of the Yi Jin Jing from his dantian and the spiritual energy from the pill.

Time flowed gradually as Jiang Yun's physical body underwent this qualitative transformation.

Immersed in the exhilaration of cultivation, Jiang Yun lost track of time. Once again, the familiar white vapor appeared above his head, indicating another breakthrough.

The third layer of the Body Martial Realm.

Another breakthrough!

The fourth layer of the Body Martial Realm.

Jiang Yun continued to push himself until he broke through to the fourth layer of the Body Martial Realm, completely absorbing the efficacy of the pill.

Jiang Yun slowly ended his cultivation, exhaling a white, turbid breath. When he opened his eyes, it was already the next morning. As he stepped out of the inn, the sunlight shone upon him, and Jiang Yun appeared spirited and his eyes noticeably brighter than before.

Sensing someone watching him, Jiang Yun smirked. It seemed that the Xiao family had already learned of Xiao Kuan's death.

Come on! Let the battle begin!

Having purchased a regular fine steel sword from a weapons shop, Jiang Yun swiftly left the city.

Xiao Residence.

In the main courtyard of the Xiao Residence, a black-clad young man hurriedly walked to the outer courtyard, where a dozen similarly dressed young men were already waiting for orders. The black-clad young man spoke to the leader among them, saying, "The family head has given the order. Xiao Da, immediately lead the men out of the city to search for Jiang Yun, dead or alive."

Xiao Da acknowledged the order with a wave of his hand, and the well-trained group of black-clad young men left the city.

Outside the walls of Yanjing City, surrounded by mountains, Jiang Yun left the city in a random direction and swiftly made his way. Apart from the fine steel sword and a bag containing dried rations, he had no other belongings.