The Third Stage of Thunder Knife

After experiencing such highs and lows, he entered a state of mind as still as water, his spirit as clear as crystal. At least, in this moment, it was so. Without a single distracting thought, he poured his entire being into practicing his blade techniques. “Hmm?” After practicing for a while, Luo Feng stood there, frowning in deep thought, occasionally making a few gestures. Then he resumed his blade practice, stopped to ponder again, and then practiced once more... This feeling was just like when Luo Feng used to tackle math problems in school. A difficult math problem required him to deduce through various angles and known conditions, constantly refining and correcting his approach... until the problem was solved. The major math questions in the college entrance exam were always tough; some challenging problems could take an hour or two to solve even during regular practice. Now, Luo Feng was like he was 'solving a problem,' with the same mindset, continuously researching his blade techniques! However, unlike before, Luo Feng's state of mind was unprecedentedly ethereal at this moment. His control over the subtle nuances of his body and the speed of his brain's operation were far superior to his usual state. After a night of intense training, he continued his rigorous practice throughout the next morning. By the afternoon of the second day, Luo Feng sat on the balcony, cradling his Blood Shadow Battle Blade, lost in deep contemplation for three hours. Afterward, Luo Feng resumed his study of blade techniques. He forgot to eat, forgot about the exorbitant bounty, forgot his paranoia... On the second night, in the dimly lit hall on the eighth floor of the high-rise residential building, Luo Feng moved and swung his blade repeatedly! The blade's gleam was icy, chilling one's very soul. Whoosh! It was impossible to tell how many times he had swung his blade, but with a single movement of the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, a cold light instantly illuminated the entire hall. A strange ripple, like a bolt of lightning, subtly emanated, and then, 'Puff, puff~~' the air produced peculiar sonic boom-like shockwaves. “Huh?” Luo Feng's eyes widened, and he froze. “It's done?” “I actually did it! The Third Stage of the Ninefold Thunder Knife, I've mastered it!” Luo Feng couldn't help but let out a wild, uninhibited roar of excitement. The Third Stage of Thunder Knife! He had mastered it so soon after the exorbitant bounty was announced. “Each stage of the Ninefold Thunder Knife is harder than the last. I only recently mastered the Second Stage, and now, unexpectedly, I've completed the Third Stage!” Luo Feng smiled faintly. “I really should thank Li Wei's parents.” If Li Wei's mother, Wenina Polenas, knew this was the outcome, she'd probably be furious enough to spit blood. Each stage of the Ninefold Thunder Knife is progressively more difficult! Globally, only Lei Shen has managed to master the Ninth Stage. It's important to know that this ultimate cultivation technique is incredibly formidable. The Third Stage boosts one's strength to 2.8 times its previous level! Luo Feng's physical conditioning is currently that of a veteran Advanced Warrior. With a 2.8x boost, his attack power can rival that of a Mid-level Warlord! 2.8 times! Keep in mind, a single rank usually only represents about a 2x difference. “My single blade strike, imbued with four layers of hidden force, now rivals a Mid-level Warlord in power. If I augment the Blood Shadow Battle Blade with my mental power, adding a fifth and sixth layer of force... a single strike could probably match a veteran High-level Warlord!” Luo Feng was well aware of the potency of mental power; combining it with his physical attack power yielded even more astonishing results. What a surprise! An unexpected bonus brought by the exorbitant bounty! The 'exorbitant bounty' indeed placed immense pressure on Luo Feng. Some people would live in constant fear under such pressure, even breaking down. But others, under pressure, would strive even harder, achieving astonishing rates of progress. Luo Feng was one who made progress! “I still have to thank Li Wei's parents,” Luo Feng said, his face beaming with joy. “That 'exorbitant bounty' did indeed stir a hint of panic deep within me, making me feel like anyone could betray me, making me paranoid. Fortunately, talking with Xu Xin brightened my mood... The dramatic ups and downs actually allowed me to achieve extreme calm.” A mind as still as water, meaning, without a single distracting thought! This state of extreme calm and clear-mindedness is difficult to maintain for long. Ordinary people might occasionally enter this state of extreme calm during life-or-death situations or critical moments, allowing them to perform beyond their usual capabilities! For instance, when Luo Feng was besieged by hundreds of beast-general level monsters outside the Carrefour Supermarket, it was only through absolute calm and zero distractions for a mere 1.2 seconds that he managed to escape. However, this state typically only lasts for a second or two. But this time, Luo Feng's emotional rollercoaster plunged him into that state for over 20 hours! In those 20 hours of extreme calm, focused solely on perfecting his blade techniques, he managed to research and master the Third Stage of the Ninefold Thunder Knife in one go! It was only the euphoria of his success that finally pulled him out of that 'mind as still as water' state. “The exorbitant bounty... it really can mess with people's minds, making me paranoid. As history books say, the downfall of most ancient dynasties often began when emperors grew too suspicious of their ministers, their paranoia leading to the empire's collapse.” Luo Feng's psychological resilience had also ascended a level. The exorbitant bounty now had much less impact on him. “Captain and the others have no evidence, no solid proof, so they naturally won't get the bounty. Without the bounty, who would be foolish enough to report me?” Luo Feng's ear twitched slightly, and he immediately rushed to the balcony to look down. Below the residential building, dozens of monsters had gathered. Luo Feng paused, then smiled: “It seems my excited roar after mastering the Third Stage attracted quite a few monsters.” “Time to go. Back to the Base City!” Immediately, Luo Feng slung on his backpack, battle blade, and shield, then leaped like lightning from the eighth-floor balcony, landing directly on the rooftop of a three-story detached villa ahead. In a flash, he vanished completely. The train station. Train stations were always the busiest places, with the most exaggerated flow of people, their boisterous clamor spreading far and wide. The long train slowly pulled into the station, followed by the screeching sound of its wheels braking. As the train doors opened, a flood of passengers disembarked. “The Base City, that's home,” Luo Feng said, stepping off the train and glancing around with a smile. “Home!” Riding the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo's special vehicle, Luo Feng returned to Mingyue Residential District as the evening sun set. “The residential district is as peaceful as ever,” Luo Feng observed through the car window, seeing many residents strolling and chatting leisurely. “Beep!” The car stopped at the entrance of the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo. Luo Feng opened the car door and stepped out, only to see a large crowd gathered at the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo's entrance. There were many Warriors and their families, even the other members of the Fire Hammer Squad were there, and of course, his parents and younger brother. “Xiao Feng,” Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan called out. “Brother,” Luo Hua said, his face beaming. “Luo Feng.” “Crazy.” Many other Warriors also greeted him warmly. “Captain, you guys are here too?” Luo Feng asked with a surprised smile. Captain Gao Feng, Wei Tie, and Wei Qing all chuckled. Gao Feng replied, “Didn't you say you'd be back in the next couple of days? Anyway, we were going to discuss processing those monster materials together, and besides, it's been a while since we saw Old Zhang. So, a few of us brothers came over to catch up.” Luo Feng nodded with a smile: “Captain, I'll chat with you all tonight. I'm heading home for now.” “Alright,” Gao Feng nodded with a smile, watching Luo Feng leave. He mused inwardly, “Hmm? Looking at Luo Feng's expression, he seems quite happy and relaxed, without any signs of mental stress. Perhaps, he really isn't the killer.” Gao Feng wasn't sure what his own mindset was. He couldn't help but investigate, wanting to know if Luo Feng was the culprit, after all, 100 billion was too tempting. Perhaps, he didn't want Luo Feng to be the killer, so he could feel at ease and not be swayed by the 100 billion temptation. “How many people can remain unconcerned and even cheerful under an exorbitant bounty? At least, a young man under 20 would find it very difficult to achieve that.” Gao Feng shook his head. “Forget it, no more overthinking.” Gao Feng had to admit that even he was somewhat flustered by the enormous reward. “Come on, brothers, let's go grab a drink,” Gao Feng called out. “Let's go.” “Haha, let's all go.” The members of the Fire Hammer Squad, including Zhang Ke with his severed arm, all entered the Dojo. Only Luo Feng was currently at home. Luo Feng's home, second floor. Immediately upon returning home, Luo Feng placed the backpack containing the 'dragon egg,' 'combat uniform,' and 'precious sword' into his bedroom safe. In truth, even if he'd left it on the bedroom floor, no one would dare steal it. This was a Warrior residential district belonging to the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo; no one dared to steal anything here. “Undoubtedly, Li Wei's parents have the privilege to investigate Warriors in the surrounding area. Given the number of Warriors gathered around the edge of City No. 023, they've probably investigated hundreds, if not thousands. I'm just one of them. My level of suspicion is extremely low.” “Since Li Wei's parents already suspect a mental-power user, they'll likely also check the bank accounts of any Warriors they suspect to see how much money they have.” “Therefore, from now on!” “Any large sums of money I earn cannot be deposited into my real-name bank account. They should be placed into an anonymous account.” Currently, many banks worldwide offer 'anonymous accounts.' These accounts don't track the identity of the account holder; as long as the correct passwords are provided, money can be withdrawn! “First, deposit large sums of money into an anonymous account.” “Second, my identity as a mental-power user must absolutely not be revealed until the right time.” “Third, I will not tell anyone about killing Li Wei.” “Fourth, I will not tell anyone, including my family, about selling the dragon egg, the War God combat uniform, and other items.” Luo Feng knew very well that a thousand-mile dike could collapse from an ant's nest; often, small matters could lead to ruin. Therefore, before he possessed enough strength to confront the Vulture and Scorpion couple directly, he absolutely could not expose himself! Possessing hundreds of millions or billions might be a lot for a Warlord-level Warrior, but it wouldn't be considered extravagant. But if a bank account suddenly had tens of billions added to it! How could the Vulture, Li Yao, and the Scorpion, Wenina Polenas, not be suspicious? The HR Alliance controlled over half of the world's economy, and many major foreign banks were under the HR Alliance. With their privileges, they could easily use the global banking network to trace Luo Feng's wealth. Only anonymous accounts were truly safe. Even the banks themselves wouldn't know the client's identity, let alone allow someone to investigate. “My top priority right now is my overt strength! Therefore, I should first acquire the deeper-level manuals for the Ninefold Thunder Knife.” Luo Feng nodded slightly. Just then, his phone rang. “Hello, Luo Feng, are you ready?” “Ready, I'm coming,” Luo Feng said with a smile. “We're at the bar on the first floor of the Dojo. Come on over.” Hanging up the phone, Luo Feng walked towards the 'Extreme Martial Arts Dojo' within the residential district.