96: A bold plan, let's begin!

Inside the secret chamber, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes.

A wisp of golden light flashed in the depths of his pupils and then vanished.

Condensing Essence Realm!

He succeeded!

Moreover, it wasn't the gaseous Yuan Power of ordinary Martial Artists, but liquid!

He sensed the terrifying energy contained within that drop of golden liquid in his Dantian.

This power was more than ten times stronger than the Qi and blood he possessed during his Peak Body Refining Realm!

No wonder people often say,

The difficulty of the Martial Dao!

Each Realm is a new heaven!

Li Qing stood up and walked to the special stone wall designed for testing strength.

This stone wall was made of Black Xuan Stone, incredibly hard. Even a full-strength blow from an Early Stage Condensing Essence Realm Martial Artist would at most leave a shallow fist print.

He extended a finger, and with a thought,

the golden Yuan Power liquid in his Dantian trembled slightly. A wisp of Yuan Power, even finer than a strand of hair, flowed along his Meridians to his fingertip.

"Chhh!"

A faint sound, like a hot knife cutting through butter, echoed.

The indestructible Black Xuan Stone wall was instantly pierced through, leaving a bottomless small hole.

The entire process was effortless and relaxed.

Li Qing retracted his finger, looking at the small hole, a tempest raging in his heart.

Too strong!

Is this the power of Yuan Power?

Just a wisp possessed such terrifying penetrating power.

So, how much power would a full-strength punch, augmented with this liquid Yuan Power, unleash?

He estimated.

His current pure Physical Body strength was nearly 140,000 catties.

This level of strength itself surpassed the cognitive scope of Condensing Essence Realm Martial Artists.

Coupled with the indestructible nature of Yuan Power... Li Qing's mind conjured the image of City Lord Zhuang Bai.

A Spirit Transformation Realm expert.

The top master of Jinling City.

But in the face of his current strength, it seemed... he was just average!

Li Qing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging thoughts in his heart.

Kill Zhuang Bai?

Now was not the time.

He had shown him kindness, and more importantly, he still needed to utilize his identity and resources.

Thinking of resources, Li Qing's gaze became fervent.

His Breakthrough this time relied entirely on the energy feedback from his Clone.

And for the Clone to evolve, it needed a massive amount of evolution value.

Hunting Vicious Beasts was too slow; devouring Spirit Stones and Heaven And Earth Treasures was the fastest way!

Where were the most Heaven And Earth Treasures?

The City Lord's Mansion Treasury!

A daring idea wildly sprouted in his mind.

Originally, his plan was to proceed step by step, using his identity as a City Lord Guest Elder to slowly seek opportunities.

But now, with his strength soaring, his plan should change!

He now possessed three major advantages.

First, strength!

Newly advanced to the Condensing Essence Realm, and with liquid Yuan Power far surpassing his peers, this gave him the confidence to deal with any unexpected situation.

Of course, the most important thing was the Clone's strength!

Second, trust!

City Lord Zhuang Bai had high hopes for him, viewing him as the future of Jinling City, and his Guard against him was at its lowest.

Third, and most crucial, the Clone's talent!

The Profound Water Overlord Clone's talent, Earth Vein Sensing, was simply a divine skill made for stealth and treasure hunting!

Li Qing sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and his Mental Energy instantly sank into the ground, connecting with his Clone far away in the Qiu River.

"Om!"

In his mind, a three-dimensional structural map of the entire City Lord's Mansion underground slowly began to emerge.

Soil, rock layers, underground water veins... everything was clearly visible.

Earth Vein Sensing was fully activated!

Li Qing's Mental Energy, like invisible tentacles, spread along the earth'sVeins towards the core area of the City Lord's Mansion.

He could "see" a miniature Spiritual Vein beneath the mansion.

Although small, it was rich in Spiritual Qi, and the secret chamber he was in was precisely built on a node of this Spiritual Vein.

His Mental Energy continued to extend.

Soon, he "saw" an underground structure wrapped layer upon layer with special metal and Formations.

Found it!

The City Lord's Mansion Treasury!

Li Qing's heart filled with joy.

He carefully "observed" the treasury's structure.

Thick metal walls, complex mechanical locks, and faint energy fluctuations—those were the protective Formations in operation.

A frontal assault from the outside was absolutely impossible.

Even he would be discovered instantly and then surrounded.

But who said he had to enter from the outside?

A cold arc curled at the corner of Li Qing's mouth.

He firmly memorized the precise coordinates of the treasury.

Then, with a thought, he issued an instruction to his Clone, which was far away at the bottom of the Qiu River.

"Begin the operation!"

At the bottom of the Qiu River, deep within the silt.

The massive Profound Water Overlord suddenly opened its eyes, and a faint glow flashed across its enormous turtle shell.

It had received its main body's instruction.

Without hesitation, its massive body slowly began to turn, facing the direction of Jinling City.

The talents Mystic Water Manipulation and Earth Vein Sensing activated simultaneously!

The mud and rocks in front of it seemed to turn into soft flowing water.

Silently parting to both sides, a deep passage began to extend precisely and secretly towards directly beneath the City Lord's Mansion Treasury.

The entire process was noiseless.

Above ground, Jinling City remained prosperous.

No one knew that a terrifying giant beast was deep beneath the city, executing a shocking plan that would make the City Lord vomit blood.

Li Qing slowly withdrew his consciousness, his face returning to calm.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

At the same time, he also needed to find a perfect excuse to leave this secret chamber... Time in the secret chamber seemed to stand still.

Li Qing sat cross-legged, consolidating his newly Breakthrough Realm while continuously controlling the Clone's movements through their Mental Energy connection.

The underground excavation work was smoother than expected.

The Profound Water Overlord's talents were truly in their element in this environment.

Earth Vein Sensing provided precise positioning, ensuring no deviation in direction.

Mystic Water Manipulation made the hard earth and stone feel like tofu, easily pushed aside with almost no sound.

A deep tunnel was extending towards the City Lord's Mansion Treasury at a steady and efficient pace.

At this rate, it would reach the target location in at most two days.

Li Qing calculated in his mind.

He should go out now.

Staying in the secret chamber too long would only arouse unnecessary suspicion.

After all, Zhuang Bai had given him a month's deadline, and only a few days had passed.

Breaking through so quickly was truly astonishing.

However, Geniuses are always somewhat extraordinary.

This reason was sufficient.

Thinking this, Li Qing stood up, walked to the secret chamber door, and gently knocked on the heavy stone door.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Dull sounds echoed in the passage.

Soon, footsteps came from outside the door, and a respectful voice sounded.

"Young Master Li, do you have any instructions?"

It was the Guard responsible for watching the secret chamber.

"Please inform City Lord Daren."

Li Qing's calm voice carried out.

"Just say that Li Qing has not failed his mission, has successfully broken through, and has come specifically to thank City Lord Daren."