I Can Upgrade Everything Infinitely-Chapter 72 - 71: Stepping into Inner Gang, Entering the Inner City Black Market
As for his other neighbor, Xu Qing only learned of his identity after becoming better acquainted with Dian Hongbo. Dian Hongbo introduced them, revealing the man to be none other than Zhang Guoqi, the Vice Gang Leader of the Dragon Dance Gang.
This Zhang Guoqi was an interesting character. He was fond of frequenting pleasure quarters and had yet to marry, preferring to remain single. He was also quite talented.
Only later did Xu Qing learn that Zhang Guoqi was originally the young master of the Zhang Family in Qingfeng Town. He had been intelligent since childhood, was literate, and quite gifted. For some unknown reason, however, the Zhang Family had fallen overnight.
This highly talented young master had since abandoned scholarly pursuits for Martial Arts, somehow managing to become the Vice Gang Leader of the Dragon Dance Gang. His strength had reached the Peak of Pill Strength. Although he had opened his Ren and Du Meridians, he had yet to construct the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, so he had never truly stepped into the Gang Qi Realm.
Additionally, the Gold Medal Demon Exterminators of Qingfeng Town’s Demon Extermination Agency had strength on par with the Outer Gang Realm.
Therefore, Dian Hongbo was also an Outer Gang Expert.
"Brother Xu, you still need to be careful."
Dian Hongbo reminded him, "The Inner City Black Market is far more dangerous than the one in the Outer City. Many of those who attack from the shadows are experts of the Gang Qi Realm."
"Also,"
"the Black Market is said to have no rules, but it’s actually the Government Office that holds the real power. There are certain lines you can’t cross. You must be aware of that."
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Dian."
Xu Qing cupped his fists. "I’ve been here for a month now, and I’ve nearly run out of Spiritual Food. I’m mainly going to the Black Market this time to buy some more."
"As you know, for Martial Artists like us, whether it’s for cultivation, improvement, or even just daily sustenance, we need enough Spiritual Food. Otherwise, we can’t bring out our full strength."
"Mm."
Dian Hongbo nodded. "Brother Xu, to be honest, you’re on your own with no attachments. With your strength at the Outer Gang Level, I could easily recommend you for the Demon Extermination Agency. You couldn’t become a Gold Medal Demon Exterminator right away, but you could start as a Silver Demon Exterminator."
"I’m sure that with your strength, you’ll quickly accumulate enough merit to become a Gold Medal Demon Exterminator. Once you join the Government Office’s Demon Extermination Agency, you won’t have to risk buying Spiritual Food at the Black Market. You can purchase it from the Government Office for less than half the price. After becoming a Gold Medal Demon Exterminator, your Authority will increase, and you’ll be able to buy even more Secret Medicine."
"I’ll consider it."
Xu Qing replied.
"Fine,"
Dian Hongbo shrugged. "I’ve known you long enough to understand your personality. You don’t like being tied down; you value your freedom. If you really joined the Government Office’s Demon Extermination Agency, you probably couldn’t adapt to all the rules. I won’t force you."
"Thank you for understanding, Brother Dian."
Xu Qing said.
「Late that night.」
PHEW...
Xu Qing took a deep breath and put on the Evil Ghost Mask. His figure changed once more, transforming into a dashing young man with a scholarly air about him.
At his thought, the Encyclopedia of All Things began to glow.
...
[Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) LV1: 1300/200 (Upgradeable!)]
...
[Baji Heaven-Striking Fist LV6: 260/4000 (...)]
...
[Life-taking Thirteen Swords LV8: 180/3840 (...)]
...
Currently, Xu Qing was focused on these three techniques. His other Martial Arts had already been integrated into them. Over the past month, Xu Qing had spent most of his time practicing the Dapeng Root Method.
As a result, the Dapeng Root Method had accumulated a large amount of Experience Points.
’Upgrade the Dapeng Root Method.’
Before setting out, Xu Qing naturally decided to upgrade the Dapeng Root Method to increase his strength. That way, if he encountered a powerful enemy in the Black Market, he would be well-equipped to handle them.
BUZZ!
The Encyclopedia of All Things shimmered with a radiant light.
At that moment, countless tiny black figures appeared before Xu Qing’s eyes again. They endlessly practiced the Dapeng Root Method before transforming into a torrent of information that poured into his mind.
BOOM!
Xu Qing’s mind trembled as his consciousness entered a mysterious space, where he found himself endlessly practicing the Dapeng Root Method.
[Upgrade Successful!]
[Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) LV2: 1100/400 (Upgradeable!) (This is a Flawless Root Method. Cultivated to its final Realm, it can reach the ’Immortal’ level. It was created by an existence in the ’Extraordinary’ Realm who comprehended the mysteries of the ’Dapeng’. However, only the first half exists, so it is merely comparable to an ’Upper Grade Root Method’ and can only be cultivated to the ’Innate Gang Qi’ level.)]
As one could see, after the Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) was upgraded, the technique itself didn’t change, but Xu Qing’s strength had grown.
PHEW...
Xu Qing opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath. His body shuddered, and a powerful, cyan Gang Qi erupted, suffusing his entire being and bringing him to the Peak of External Gang.
"Good!"
Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction. ’Just raising it by one Level has brought the Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) to the Peak of External Gang. And I can still upgrade it again.’
’Upgrade the Dapeng Root Method.’
BUZZ! BUZZ!
And so, the Encyclopedia of All Things flickered with a fluorescent light. Xu Qing experienced the same phenomenon as before: the tiny black figures transformed into a torrent and flooded his mind.
At the same time, his consciousness entered the mysterious space again, where he cultivated the Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) without cease until he broke through to a new Realm.
[Upgrade Successful!]
[Dapeng Root Method (Incomplete) LV3: 700/800 (...)]
CRACK! CRACK!
At that very moment, Xu Qing’s body began to change. A series of cracking sounds echoed, as if he were going through another growth spurt. His height gradually increased until he stood at 1.8 meters tall.
Furthermore, Xu Qing’s Gang Qi underwent another transformation. It resonated with the Heaven and Earth Energy, becoming a perfect balance of hardness and softness. It integrated into every part of his body, enveloping his organs, muscles, and bones, using the Gang Qi to refine his entire form.
PHEW...
Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes. He felt as if he had undergone a profound enlightenment, having broken through from the Peak of External Gang to the Inner Gang Level.
First, Gang Qi was a higher-quality form of power, refined from a Martial Artist’s own Qi and Blood and Power. This was achieved by opening the Ren and Du Meridians, constructing the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, and fusing it all with Heaven and Earth Energy.
This power was called Gang Qi.
Generally speaking, because this power was fused with Heaven and Earth Energy, it wasn’t considered the Martial Artist’s own power. Thus, it could only be released for external attacks. It was difficult to use it for Refining the Body or the Martial Artist themself, as Gang Qi was simply too tyrannical.
Building on this... was Inner Gang.
As the name implies, Inner Gang was achieved when a Martial Artist pushed their Gang Qi to the Extreme, tamed it, and reached a Realm where it was both hard and soft. This made the Gang Qi no longer so tyrannical.
In this state, a Martial Artist could use their own Gang Qi to temper their body—refining their organs, muscles, bones, and all their meridians.
It was a transformation and improvement from the outside in.
Then, the Martial Artist’s physical body would become much stronger. The Qi and Blood and Power they could generate would be more immense. By channeling more Heaven and Earth Energy through the Ren and Du Meridians and the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, they could refine an even greater amount of Gang Qi, making them vastly stronger and more powerful.
Moreover, upon reaching the Inner Gang Realm, the Gang Qi could protect one’s organs and body, further increasing their durability and granting them a much greater chance of survival against danger and assassination attempts.
Generally speaking, an Inner Gang expert could easily defeat Outer Gang Powerhouses.
The reason Xu Qing had been able to defeat a clone of Jiang Feiying—a feat comparable to defeating someone at the Innate Gang Qi level—while still in the Outer Gang Realm, skipping the Inner Gang Level entirely, was due to three factors.
First, Xu Qing’s Baji Heaven-Striking Fist was an incredibly profound Martial Art. He had leveled it up repeatedly and integrated numerous other Martial Arts and Magic Gates into it, transforming it into a Fundamental Skill.
Consequently, the Gang Qi he cultivated was stronger than that of other experts at the same level.
Second, Xu Qing possessed several pieces of equipment that had reached Level 10, including the Level 10 Wandering Dragon Sword, the Level 10 Copper Coin Sword, and the Level 10 Soft Hedgehog Armor.
Furthermore, the Level 10 Copper Coin Sword specifically countered Jiang Feiying’s Magic Gate.
Third, his Life-taking Thirteen Swords had reached Level 8 through repeated upgrades, allowing him to faintly grasp the rudiments of Sword Intent.
It must be understood that Sword Intent was a type of Mental Realm, and the Mental Realm was an Extraordinary Power that could only be truly grasped after stepping into the Second Realm: Extraordinary.
These three factors combined allowed Xu Qing to accomplish the feat of defeating a foe far beyond his level.
A feat that an ordinary person could never hope to replicate.
It was practically impossible.
’Time to go.’
After familiarizing himself with the power of the Inner Gang Level and the Dapeng Root Method, Xu Qing leaped into the air. Like a Dapeng Spreads Its Wings, he found he could actually glide.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing had dashed out of his courtyard. Following Dian Hongbo’s directions, he left his residence and headed for the Inner City Black Market in Qingfeng Town.
「Half an hour later.」
Xu Qing arrived at his destination. Having already changed his appearance back to that of the dashing young man, he stood before the entrance to the Inner City Black Market.
The entrance was located inside a dilapidated temple in the Inner City. After entering the temple and heading straight to the backyard, one would find a dry well.
This dry well was the entrance to the Black Market.
To enter the Inner City Black Market, one simply had to jump into it.
Of course, the well was merely an Illusion Realm, its main purpose being concealment. Only those who knew the correct method could enter the Inner City Black Market.
’In I go.’
After a moment of contemplation, Xu Qing hesitated no longer. He leaped up and jumped straight into the dry well. The moment he plunged in without hesitation...
BUZZ!
...the dry well rippled and wavered like an illusory painting. Xu Qing’s vision blurred as the Illusion Realm took effect.
When he came to his senses, Xu Qing had arrived in the Inner City Black Market.
"This is..."
Xu Qing looked up and saw a ceiling of earth and stone. He glanced around, taking in the numerous stall owners hawking their wares and the many strangers milling about. ’Could the Inner City Black Market of Qingfeng Town be built in an underground space? To excavate such a massive area... that must have cost an immense amount of manpower and resources.’
