It was no wonder Shen Qingyao was envious. With a Gold Medal Boxer like that earning Merit from the Demon Suppression Department for the family, how could they not prosper?

In truth, Chen Cheng was also feeling a little eager to try. After all, with his strength, he should be able to slay a Tier Two Demon Beast.

However, Chen Cheng quickly suppressed the excitement in his heart. Leaving the city to slay demons was a life-threatening risk. If he accidentally ran into a Tier Three Demon Beast, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t become its next meal. It was simply too dangerous. He could only make his move when he found the safest opportunity.

Chen Cheng asked, slightly curious, "Wang Xiongba’s strength is so tyrannical, so why isn’t he considered the number one martial artist of the younger generation in Linji City? Could Jiang Lang be even stronger than him?"

Shen Qingyao slowed her pace, a hint of disdain on her face as she said, "Wang Xiongba’s Innate Copper Skin and Iron Bone just means he has an excellent constitution, that’s all. People like him are rare, but looking at the entire Human Race with its hundreds of millions of people, there are bound to be some.

Take Linji Prefecture, with its population of over ten million, for example. One or two such individuals pop up every few years. Once discovered, most of them are directly recruited by the Great Dao Sect as Inner Sect Disciples and given special training.

However, Martial Arts Cultivation ultimately requires both a strong constitution and high aptitude. Before the Bone Forging Realm, these people might hold an advantage thanks to their Innate Copper Skin and Iron Bone.

But cultivation in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, which comes after Bone Forging, places more emphasis on aptitude. Only by comprehending a Realm can one’s cultivation progress more easily.

Furthermore, there aren’t many who both possess an Innate Copper Skin and Iron Bone and also have extremely high aptitude. Thus, very few of them ultimately become True Disciples of the Great Dao Sect.

Wang Xiongba is innately dull and slow-witted. He might be formidable in the Bone Forging Realm, but once he reaches the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, if he can’t comprehend a Realm, he’ll exhaust his potential and slowly lose his advantage.

Jiang Lang is ahead of Wang Xiongba in both his overall martial arts talent and his cultivation realm. The achievements he can reach in the future will naturally far surpass Wang Xiongba’s.

The Skills the Jiang Family cultivates belong to the Geng Metal Lineage of the Great Dao Sect’s Five Elements Peak. It is exceptionally sharp and could very well pierce Wang Xiongba’s heavy armor defense. Even if they fought right now, the outcome would likely be a toss-up.

However, a fight between them would inevitably lead to mutual injury. Jiang Lang obviously wouldn’t do that. Instead, he’ll wait until he breaks through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, or until he comprehends the Sword Momentum of the Geng Metal Lineage, before he challenges Wang Xiongba."

’That sounded a bit like ’the tables turn, so don’t underestimate the young and powerless,’’ Chen Cheng thought.

Chen Cheng thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, even though Jiang Lang is called the number one martial artist of the younger generation in Linji City, he’s actually not as dominant as Wang Xiongba right now."

"That’s not an incorrect way of thinking." Shen Qingyao nodded. She then puffed out her rather spectacular chest, a look of ambitious confidence in her beautiful eyes as she said,

"Jiang Lang and Wang Xiongba might be strong, but I’m not weak either. If I comprehend the Frost Snow Realm, even with his heavy armor, Wang Xiongba wouldn’t last a single exchange against me.

You might not understand how powerful a Realm’s Power is, so let me just tell you this: if I were to unleash my Frost Snow Realm at full strength, I could freeze that brute Wang Xiongba into a solid block of ice."

Seeing her indignant and defiant expression, Chen Cheng found it rather amusing. The power of a First Layer Realm was perhaps very strong, but a Martial Artist’s Qi Blood Power was certainly not weak. He doubted that a First Layer Frost Snow Realm would be enough to kill Wang Xiongba in a single blow.

’As for my own Great Power Realm, I probably wouldn’t gain any advantage clashing head-on with Wang Xiongba right now. After all, a man in heavy armor has tyrannical defenses. To break armor with pure force, my strength would need to be completely overwhelming.’

The two of them strolled leisurely along the streets of the Inner City, talking softly as they walked, which made them appear rather intimate. Anyone who didn’t know better would have mistaken them for a couple.

Shen Qingyao was peerlessly beautiful, and Chen Cheng was tall and handsome. Both were dressed in the purple uniforms of the Demon Suppression Department’s Purple-clothed Guards. As they strolled confidently down the streets of the Inner City, they cut quite an imposing figure.

Passersby turned to stare, but Shen Qingyao paid them no mind, and Chen Cheng naturally didn’t overthink it either.

...

Not far behind them, Wang Xiongzhang’s party of eight Purple-clothed Guards was also walking at a slow pace.

Shen Qingxuan watched Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao acting as intimately as a couple, talking and laughing from time to time, and her feelings were a complicated mess.

In the Shen Family, Shen Qingyao and Shen Qingshuang were the favored daughters of heaven, high and mighty. But Shen Qingxuan, despite also possessing extremely strong martial arts talent, had never been given the recognition she deserved. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Because of this, Shen Qingxuan had always been bottling up her resentment. When she learned that Shen Qingyao and Shen Qingshuang actually wanted to arrange for her to become a concubine for Chen Cheng, a mere Chief Constable from a Humble Family, her fury intensified.

Being constantly overshadowed by Shen Qingyao and Shen Qingshuang in the family was one thing, but what right did they have to arrange her, Shen Qingxuan’s, marriage?

Because of this anger, Shen Qingxuan grew to resent Chen Cheng as well. Her original plan had been to get Chen Cheng into the Demon Suppression Department to show him the massive gap between a disciple from a Humble Family and those from the Inner City’s Four Great Clans.

She wanted to make Chen Cheng feel inferior, to make him feel ashamed of himself, and in doing so, humiliate Shen Qingyao and Shen Qingshuang.

However, this Chen Cheng didn’t seem to be like Yan Jian and his ilk, who were easily manipulated by the young ladies of the great clans. He had rejected her invitations multiple times, preventing her plan from being carried out.

Shen Qingxuan had already made up her mind. Once Chen Cheng was in the Demon Suppression Department, she would find an opportunity to show him the consequences of offending her.

When that time came, and Chen Cheng was too weak to complete the Demon Suppression Department’s missions on his own, he would have no choice but to come begging to her, Shen Qingxuan.