The Martial Doctor

Lin Miao’s greatest lack is hands-on experience against skilled opponents.

A life-and-death struggle is worth hundreds of practice sparring sessions, as sparring is always held back, never going for the kill.

Just how much combat power and potential can be unleashed is hard to say; at Lin Miao’s level, actual combat opportunities are already scarce.

Opportunities for life-and-death struggles are even rarer.

Even sparring with Si Miaoxue and others is done with restraint; those with higher skill hold back to avoid injuring him, and those weaker, he fears injuring them.

Thus, to inspire potential truly depends on life-and-death combat.

Blood Evil Thieves is a rare opponent.

Without Dingxian and others to distract him, he can naturally enter a state of focused combat, as he has nothing to fear.

Blood Evil Thieves cannot detain him, for the Fire Qilin is lurking nearby, ready to whisk him away at any moment.

With such confidence, he is unrestrained; encountering such a strong opponent for the first time, Lin Miao is naturally all fired up.

Taiji is a martial art that balances offense and defense, and its deeper meaning aligns perfectly with the Dao of Yin and Yang, which traditional Chinese medicine uses as a basis for understanding biology.

Lin Miao’s understanding of Yin and Yang is unparalleled in this world.

After a prolonged battle, Blood Evil Thieves was shocked to find that this mere Lower Grade Meridian Passage Realm guy gradually matched him in strength, and even slightly gained the upper hand.

Moreover, his boxing style was too bizarre, making Blood Evil Thieves feel at a loss, like fighting in a muck where all his strength was useless.

Facing an expert at the Tianyuan level is understandable if one cannot contend.

But facing someone weaker than himself, the Blood Evil Thieves, having roamed the Jianghu for decades, never felt this stifled.

Lin Miao found himself getting more skillful and excited as the fight continued, and many mysteries cleared up instantly in the midst of battle!

This sensation was as refreshing as eating a popsicle in the peak of summer.

How exhilarating!

As Lin Miao’s fists and feet moved, they gained a certain flair, stirring the qi motions in the world around him.

This is...

Blood Evil Thieves was so shocked that his iron teeth almost shattered—this manipulation of the world’s qi is something only Tianyuan-level masters can achieve.

And Lin Miao was merely in the Lower Grade Meridian Passage Realm; how did he do it?

Lin Miao also sensed that he had entered a profound and mysterious realm, as if a connection formed between the three dantians within him.

Connected.

This is what it feels like to break through the mystical pass, and he experienced it, with all his cells coming alive and excited.

Though only a tiny connection for now, he could develop it into a small stream, then a river, a large river, and finally a grand Yangtze!

Achieving Tianyuan for him would be as natural as water flowing in a channel, with no difficulty.

Lin Miao’s eyes suddenly brightened, his inner energy flowing from the dantian into his meridians, unstoppable, growing stronger, faster, and more solid with each circulation!

Breakthrough!

The mighty inner energy surged within the lower dantian, with the world’s qi flooding in like a tide, entering through the Baihui Acupoint.

Small Tianyuan!

Or, one might call it Half-Step Tianyuan.

Crack!

A gentle sound emanated from Lin Miao’s body, marking the sound of his breakthrough.

A powerful aura surged outward, enveloped in an overwhelming presence, as he unleashed a "scattering hand" strike toward Blood Evil Thieves.

Puff!

Blood Evil Thieves’ chest seemed hammered in, collapsing inward, as his body flew back, spraying a mouthful of blood mid-air.

"Who are you, exactly, and why do you wish to oppose me?" Blood Evil Thieves staggered as he stood back up, his eyes wide, bloodshot and glaring at Lin Miao with endless anger and spite.

"Didn’t I say, I’m just someone who can’t stand injustice," Lin Miao chuckled hoarsely.

Having fought, he broke through to the Middle Grade Meridian Passage Realm; if fortune like this occurred a few more times, he could ascend directly to Tianyuan.

Lin Miao knew that despite injuring Blood Evil Thieves, killing him was quite difficult. Not only was Blood Evil Thieves unlikely to stay put waiting to be killed, but he also had many subordinates; if they hold Lin Miao off, Blood Evil Thieves could easily escape.

Being an Upper Grade Meridian Passage Realm master, if he wanted to escape, unless he faced an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, he could definitely do so.

Lin Miao understood his purpose; he was here to save people, not to kill.

And it was evident that Dingxian and his disciples shared the same goal.

So he quietly signaled the Fire Qilin from the start, instructing it to secretly find people with the same aura as Dingxian and his disciples and seize the opportunity to rescue them.

The Fire Qilin had just relayed that it discovered an underground cell holding many women, some with auras quite like Dingxian and his disciples.

Upon learning this, Lin Miao decided not to tangle with Blood Evil Thieves anymore.

"Blood Evil Thieves, I can’t kill you now, but I’ll do it next time. I’m off, ha ha!" Lin Miao laughed heartily, performed Lightweight Skill, and drifted away.

According to the Fire Qilin’s message, there were many people in the dungeon, and he couldn’t save them alone. Besides Blood Evil Thieves as a Meridian Passage Realm expert, there were also many of his subordinates, as well as guards from Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion and possibly members of the Green Blade Sect.

Therefore, the rescue requires careful planning.

The Blood Evil Thieves gang was about to pursue Lin Miao when Blood Evil Thieves himself stopped them; with his underlings, pursuing was mere suicide.

"You sneaky youngster, next time have the guts to remove your mask and fight me like a man!"

A useless roar of rage.

Does he think I’m a fool?

Removing my mask and battling you, revealing myself would only bring trouble!