I can increase my power through breathing.

Chapter 33, Number Twenty-Four on the Wanted List: Zhou Qing, the Outlaw (Please read on, please vote!)
Instant kill!

Another instant kill!

It should be noted that Lei Kun, Xu Ning, and Yang Zheng are all top-tier martial artists, far stronger than Feng Jun, the deputy commander of the Crimson Wolf Clan and known for his Cloud Piercing Spear. They are all quite famous in the martial arts world.

However, these three powerful individuals were utterly powerless against Zhou Qing's single strike and were instantly killed!

How could this not be shocking?
Just how terrifying has Zhou Qing's strength reached?

"Zhou Qing killed three top-tier martial artists with a single strike. His strength is probably already at the super-first-class level."

Among the crowd, someone murmured to themselves, their voice carrying an undisguised sense of shock and awe.

"Fang Yuan, the Red Wolf Commander of Taining Prefecture, is a top-tier martial artist. Do you think it's possible that Fang Yuan has already met with misfortune? Otherwise, how would Zhou Qing have dared to directly storm into the Eagle Wolf Guard's office?"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd, who began to discuss the matter animatedly.

"Commander Fang is a renowned expert in Taining Prefecture, ranked thirty-seventh on the Human Ranking. He is incredibly powerful. How could he possibly have met with misfortune?"

"That being said, Zhou Qing's strength is undeniable. Even Lei Kun and the other two are no match for him. If Commander Fang were to encounter him, he would likely face dire consequences."

"Zhou Qing's strength is terrifying. Every time he appears, his strength undergoes a tremendous change. For him, improving his power is as simple as breathing and drinking water."

"Perhaps the next time Zhou Qing appears, he will be a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm."

"Becoming a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm is not easy. Without spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, and without divine will, the chance of breaking through to the Innate Realm is zero."

"That being said, Zhou Qing cannot be judged by ordinary standards. His rate of progress is too astonishing. Who can guarantee that he won't encounter some extraordinary event and break through to the Innate Realm in one fell swoop?"

"Yes, if he really breaks through to the Innate Realm, he might become the next leader of the Fire Worship Cult, and the whole world will be thrown into turmoil."

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, filled with awe and apprehension towards Zhou Qing's strength.

In an instant, Zhou Qing's name seemed to be branded in everyone's hearts, indelible.

The sixth day of the tenth month of the thirteenth year of the Yuanfeng era.

Zhou Qing, the swift-blade madman, appeared in Taining Prefecture, slaying Li Baichuan, the Blood-Handed Butcher, and ransacking the Eagle Wolf Guard's yamen. He instantly killed Lei Kun, the Mixed Yuan Thunderbolt Hand, Xu Ning, the One-Armed Swordsman, and Yang Zheng, the Ghost Shadow Chasing Wind, all of whom had reached the peak of first-class swordsmanship. Fang Yuan, the Rifting Sky Sword ranked thirty-seventh on the Human Ranking, was also killed by Zhou Qing.

Apart from Wang Yan, the Black Lotus Envoy of the Fire Worship Cult, no one knew that Zhou Qing had killed Fang Yuan, the Sky-Splitting Sword Master.

This news was naturally released by Wang Yan, who proactively revealed it to Feng Manlou. Feng Manlou is an intelligence organization, so once they received this news, the whole world naturally knew about it.

Wang Yan's actions were intended to force Zhou Qing into a situation where he had nowhere to go but to join the Zoroastrian Church, thus allowing him to obtain Zhou Qing's secrets.

This series of victories, like a series of bombshells, stirred up a huge wave in the martial arts world.

Every move Zhou Qing makes redefines people's understanding of his strength, leaving everyone wondering where his limits truly lie.

Fang Yuan, the Sky-Splitting Sword Master, was ranked thirty-seventh on the Human Ranking and possessed the power of the Sword Intent Seed. Yet, he was still killed by Zhou Qing, which is truly shocking.

The ranking on the imperial wanted list seemed like nothing more than a numbers game to him. He was constantly breaking his own records at an almost frenzied pace, soaring from eightieth to twenty-fourth. It's important to know that the top twenty wanted criminals on the imperial wanted list were all grandmasters who had reached the Innate Realm. The top fifty were all top-tier martial artists who had mastered the Seed of Intent.

Zhou Qing was ranked twenty-fourth and had a new nickname: outlaw.

The nickname "Outlaw" is both an acknowledgment of his strength and the best interpretation of his style of doing things.

He was not bound by any rules and acted entirely according to his own will, like a wild horse. Whoever was his enemy, he would kill them all with a single blow.

The Great Xuan Dynasty has repeatedly offered rewards for the wanted bounty on Zhou Qing, promising that whoever kills him can comprehend the divine will for a year.

If one is willing to join the Eagle Wolf Guard and serve the imperial court, a rare and precious artifact will be bestowed upon them to help them break through to the Innate Realm.

Such a reward is undeniably generous; even some Grandmasters at the Innate Realm in the martial world would likely be tempted to make a move.

Grandmasters in the Innate Realm also have descendants. They should consider their descendants. Innate spiritual treasures are rare. As long as one can step into the Innate Realm, joining the imperial court is not out of the question.

In addition, Zhou Qing also made it onto the list of people.

The Heaven, Earth, and Man Rankings are three lists released by the Jianghu (martial arts world) faction, Fengmanlou.

These three lists encompass almost all the renowned masters in the martial arts world. Being able to appear on one of these lists is enough to leave one's own legend in the martial arts world.

The Heavenly Ranking is the highest honor in the martial arts world. Only those grandmasters who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts and possess extraordinary strength are qualified to be listed on it.

Therefore, the number of people who can be ranked on the Heavenly Ranking is extremely small. In the entire Great Xuan Dynasty, there are only three Grandmasters in public: one is the patriarch of the Great Xuan Dynasty's royal family, and the other is one from each of the northern and southern martial arts worlds.

Therefore, at least half of the martial arts world's forces need to join forces to fight against the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Even including the surrounding countries, the number of Grandmasters in the Great Xuan Dynasty did not exceed two hands.

The Earth Ranking is a list of innate grandmasters, with only seventy-two seats in total. Those on the list are not limited to the Great Xuan Dynasty, but also include those from surrounding countries.

While the Human Ranking is slightly inferior to the Heaven Ranking and Earth Ranking, those who make it onto this list are all top-tier individuals in the Acquired Realm of the Great Xuan Martial World. In particular, the top fifty on the Human Ranking are all first-rate martial artists who have mastered the Seed of Intent, possessing formidable strength and the potential to reach the Innate Realm in the future.

Zhou Qing killed Fang Yuan, the Sky-Splitting Swordsman, and replaced him on the Human Ranking, becoming the thirty-seventh person on the Human Ranking.

Zhou Qing, a lawless outlaw, carved out his own niche in the martial arts world full of powerful figures and made it onto the list of heroes. This feat in itself is enough to amaze countless people.

Zhou Qing's name spread rapidly throughout the martial arts world like a plague, causing a great uproar.

If Zhou Qing was only somewhat famous before, having ranked eightieth on the imperial wanted list, then now that he has killed Fang Yuan of the Sky-Splitting Sword and climbed to thirty-seventh on the list, he has truly become a household name in the martial arts world.

However, as Zhou Qing's fame grew, so did the number of people interested in the secrets surrounding him.

Even some Grandmasters at the Innate Realm had people closely monitoring Zhou Qing's whereabouts.

Regardless of the changing circumstances outside, after leaving Taining Prefecture, Zhou Qing retreated into the deep mountains and forests to diligently cultivate the martial arts he had acquired from the Eagle Wolf Guard.

(End of this chapter)