In this chaotic world of vying for power, I can become stronger by marrying a wife.

Inside the stone chamber, the moment the blood-red bead merged into Su Ming's body, his meridians felt as if they were being scorched by raging fire.

[Ding! Dragon Vein Fusion Progress: 30%...60%...100%!]

[Congratulations, host, on breaking through to the mid-stage of the seventh rank! Your total internal energy has increased by 300%, and you have unlocked the Dragon Vein traits: Invincible Body (triggers one instance of invulnerability when receiving a fatal wound) and Dragon's Might (inflicts mental suppression on martial artists two ranks lower than yourself)!]

Su Ming opened his eyes, a golden-red light flashing deep within his pupils.

He flexed his fingers and could clearly feel the immense power within him that was about to overflow.

"This is the seventh rank?"

Su Ming clenched his fist, and the air was compressed into a popping sound.

The White Wolf King was forced back three steps by Chen Xiu. He caught a glimpse of the aura surging around Su Ming out of the corner of his eye, and his face turned ashen.

"Damn it! This kid really fused with the dragon vein?"

Chen Xiu smiled and withdrew his hand: "White Wolf King, you should be glad that I'm in a good mood today, otherwise you wouldn't have survived until tomorrow."

The White Wolf King gritted his teeth, but dared not make another move.

The seemingly frail old man before us has a legendary feat: thirty years ago, he single-handedly cleaved through an army of 100,000 Northern Barbarians with a single sword. To this day, he remains a nightmare for the Northern Barbarian nobles.

"Chen Xiu, aren't you afraid of being investigated by the imperial court for protecting this kid?" the White Wolf King said grimly.

"Pursue?" Chen Xiu picked at his ear. "I've been retired for twenty years; I don't care about those empty titles anymore. Besides..."

He turned to look at Su Ming, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"The evidence this kid holds is enough to kill half of those corrupt officials in the Ministry of War. The court will even give him credit."

Su Ming put away his bow, walked up to the White Wolf King, and looked up at the burly man who was a head taller than him.

"The White Wolf King, right?"

The White Wolf King sneered, "Kid, don't think you can challenge me just because you've broken through to the seventh rank. When I became famous, you were still suckling..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

"collapse--!"

The arrow grazed past his ear and carved a deep furrow in the stone wall behind him.

The White Wolf King's pupils contracted, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He didn't even have time to react to that arrow.

If Su Ming had aimed for his head...

"you……"

"Shut up," Su Ming interrupted him. "I don't have time to listen to your bragging."

He took out the wolf head token from his pocket and waved it in front of the White Wolf King.

"Your brother Temujin has been shot dead by me. I also burned down the granary at Heishan Post Station."

The White Wolf King's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"What did you say?!"

"Can't you understand human language?" Su Ming sneered. "That bastard Temujin colluded with Liu Cang to try and cut off my escape route. Unfortunately for him, he ran into me."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly cold.

"By the way, his head is still soaking in a wine jar at the Jing'an Army camp. If you want it, I'll send it to you by express delivery when I get back."

The White Wolf King trembled all over, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"You're asking for it!"

A burst of white energy erupted from his body, and he pounced on Su Ming like a wild beast.

Su Ming stood still, only raising his right hand.

next second.

A golden-red wave of energy erupted from his body, instantly sending the White Wolf King flying.

"boom--!"

The White Wolf King crashed into the stone wall, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread across the entire wall.

He struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Dragon's Might?! You've only just broken through to the seventh rank, how could this be..."

"Maybe my ass." Su Ming cracked his knuckles. "I just want to see if I can kill you with one punch in a fight between two seventh-rank rank 7s."

With a stomp of his foot, he charged toward the White Wolf King like an arrow released from a bow.

The White Wolf King roared, its fists wreathed in white energy, and forcefully took Su Ming's punch.

"Bang--!"

The shockwave exploded, sending rubble flying from the stone chamber.

The two men each took three steps back.

The White Wolf King looked down at his trembling hands, his eyes filled with shock.

"How is that possible... You just broke through..."

"Enough with the nonsense." Su Ming sneered. "I could kill Temujin before my breakthrough, so what's the problem with killing you afterward?"

He charged forward again, this time even faster.

The White Wolf King gritted his teeth, his internal energy surging wildly, barely managing to keep up with Su Ming's pace.

The two exchanged blows wildly inside the stone chamber, each punch carrying terrifying destructive power.

Chen Xiu stood aside, watching this scene with a smile.

"This kid's combat awareness really doesn't seem like that of a newly promoted seventh rank..."

He squinted, as if he had thought of something.

"Could it be that legendary...?"

Just then.

"Bang--!"

Su Ming punched the White Wolf King in the chest, smashing him through the stone wall and into the secret chamber behind it.

Su Ming withdrew his fist, looked at the faint golden-red light on the surface of his fist, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Dragon veins are actually quite useful."

He entered the secret room, ready to deliver the final blow.

But they were stunned.

Inside the secret chamber, the White Wolf King lay on the ground, his fate unknown.

In the center of the secret chamber, a simple bronze coffin floats.

The surface of the coffin was covered with densely packed runes, exuding an eerie aura.

[Ding! Unknown energy fluctuation detected!]

[WARNING: This item is extremely dangerous. The host is advised to leave immediately!]

Su Ming narrowed his eyes, ignoring the system's advice, and instead took a few steps closer.

"What is this thing?"

Chen Xiu also walked in, and his expression changed drastically the moment he saw the bronze coffin.

"Damn it! How could it be this?!"

Su Ming turned to look at him: "Do you know him, senior?"

Chen Xiu took a deep breath, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"This is the coffin of the former dynasty's imperial advisor. Legend has it that he mastered a forbidden martial art during his lifetime, which allowed him to steal the lifespan of others for his own use."

He paused, his voice low.

"Three hundred years ago, the previous dynasty collapsed, and this imperial advisor was personally beheaded by the founding emperor of the Great Zhou. His body was sealed in this coffin and suppressed beneath the Black Mountain Pass."

Su Ming frowned: "Since the person is already dead, why continue the suppression?"

"Because..." Chen Xiu stared at the coffin, "he's not completely dead."

The voice just fell.

"Click—"

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the lid of the bronze coffin.

A putrid, chilling aura emanated from the crack.

Immediately afterwards, a withered hand, as dry as a tree branch, reached out from the coffin.

Su Ming's pupils contracted, and he subconsciously drew his bow.

The hand gripped the edge of the coffin and pushed hard.

"Bang--!"

The coffin lid was blown off and crashed to the ground with a dull thud.

An old man, dressed in a tattered Taoist robe and emaciated to the bone, slowly sat up from the coffin.

He opened his eyes.

His eye sockets were empty, with only two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps flickering inside.

"Three hundred years... Finally... someone has come..."

The old man's voice was hoarse like a broken bellows, and black smoke billowed from his mouth with every word he spoke.

Chen Xiu's face turned ashen as he strode up to Su Ming.

"Kid, no matter what happens later, don't make a move. This thing is beyond your capabilities."