Gou Zai Wudao Shicheng Dao

Fang Xia walked straight home through the streets and alleys.

The atmosphere in the streets and alleys today is somewhat eerie.

The once bustling city was unusually quiet today.

Small groups of neighbors huddled together, their expressions terrified, whispering amongst themselves, afraid of being overheard.

Fang Xia paused slightly, listening intently without making a sound.

"What a tragedy! What a tragedy! The entire Liu family, more than a dozen people, were wiped out overnight!" An old man pounded his chest and stamped his feet, his face full of fear.

"It was horrific, rivers of blood! They even killed infants..."

"That's right! This morning when I passed by the Liu family's house, the yamen runners blocked the whole road and wouldn't let anyone get close!" Another middle-aged woman, pale-faced, instinctively covered her mouth.

"So ruthless? This Black Mountain County is probably going to descend into chaos!"

"Maybe it's a demon from the mountains that came down? Otherwise, how could it be so ruthless?" someone whispered, their voice filled with fear.

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't get yourself into trouble! The authorities are covering it up!"

Fang Xia's heart sank suddenly, and she thought to herself, "The entire Liu family was slaughtered?!" A look of solemnity flashed in her eyes.

Luo Yue's words flashed through his mind: "Heishan County is about to face a monstrous storm."

A look of surprise flashed across Fang Xia's face as she thought to herself, "Has the county town really become this chaotic?"

Luo Yue's words were indeed true; the storm was drawing ever closer!

At the same time, his gaze unconsciously swept across the street where the Fang family lived.

Previously, thugs from the Black Tiger Gang had been loitering around him, secretly monitoring him.

But today, it has vanished without a trace.

Fang Xia's inner alarm bells rang: "Something's not right!"

He thought to himself, "The Black Tiger Gang is always a persistent threat; why would they suddenly withdraw their surveillance personnel?"

Countless thoughts raced through Fang Xia's mind, but she still couldn't come up with a solution.

This unusual "peace" made him more uneasy than blatant surveillance.

Suppressing her doubts, Fang Xia hurried home.

As he pushed open the courtyard gate, the rich aroma of food wafted out, instantly dispelling the gloom in his heart.

Inside the main room, Madam Han's face was full of concern: "Xia, you're back? Sit down and rest for a while. Were you tired from cultivating today?"

Fang Xia felt a warmth in her heart and nodded with a smile, "Mother, I'm not tired..."

Fang Xia glanced at her eldest brother, Fang Qing, and noticed that his eyes were bright and his complexion had improved a lot. He was smiling and talking to his sister-in-law.

Although his left sleeve was empty, the air of dejection between his brows had largely dissipated.

The younger sister, Fang Qiuwan, chattered excitedly about interesting things, her face beaming with joy.

The eldest sister-in-law sat upright beside Fang Qing, her eyes filled with a gentle tenderness.

Although the dinner was not lavish, it was full of warmth.

"Brother, sister-in-law, you should eat too." Fang Xia sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and felt a sense of relief.

It has always been his wish that his older brother could finally see things clearly.

Halfway through the meal, the younger sister, Fang Qiuwan, put down her chopsticks, her face flushed with excitement: "Second brother, eldest brother and sister-in-law have good news! Our family is going to have a little nephew!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the main hall fell silent, followed by bursts of laughter.

Han was all smiles, and Fang Qing's face was also full of excitement and joy.

His eyes were slightly red, and his gaze toward his sister-in-law was full of doting affection.

The elder sister-in-law's cheeks were slightly flushed, but a smile played on her lips.

Her hand unconsciously went to her lower abdomen, and she exuded a maternal aura.

Fang Xia was genuinely happy. She put down her chopsticks and said loudly, "Congratulations, elder brother! Congratulations, sister-in-law! Our Fang family finally has an heir!"

This joy was genuine.

The Fang family is finally about to welcome a new life!

........

Dinner was over soon, and Fang Qing pulled Fang Xia into the courtyard, the two brothers walking side by side.

"Xia, now that you've returned today, you must have heard about the Liu family's situation."

Fang Qing's voice was low and tinged with worry: "The entire Liu family was slaughtered, their deaths were tragic. The county government has tried to suppress the news, but it has still spread, and people are in a state of panic."

Fang Xia nodded, her expression solemn: "Brother, I've heard about it."

"You practice martial arts at Sanyang Hall, and you come into contact with many people, so it's inevitable that you'll get caught up in conflicts."

Patting Fang Xia on the shoulder, Fang Qing said with concern, "The Black Tiger Gang has been keeping an eye on you, and with this tragedy, the county is likely to be in chaos for a while."

You must be extremely careful in everything you do; protecting yourself is more important than anything else.

Fang Xia felt a warmth in her heart and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, brother, I understand."

Fang Xia knew that her elder brother's warning was not superfluous.

Today, Heishan County is rife with undercurrents.

The slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

........

It was late at night, and everyone in the family was asleep.

Fang Xia gently closed the door and blew out the oil lamp.

Only a sliver of moonlight remained in the room, shining through the window and onto the floor.

Fang Xia muttered to himself, "It's time to step into the Stone Skin Realm!"

Instead of immediately attempting to break through the bottleneck, he began practicing the Qingyang Palm technique.

The palm strike whistled, and the blood and qi were ignited by the force of the palm!

At first, it was relatively gentle, but as Fang Xiaqingyang's palm became faster and faster, his blood and qi surged more and more violently.

Fang Xia felt as if boiling water was surging and flowing through her meridians.

The skin was stretched taut by the blood and qi, and there was a "creaking" sound from the bones.

This is a sign that the body's vital energy and blood have accumulated to their limit and are about to break free from their cocoon.

Fang Xia gritted her teeth, her expression resolute, her mind made up: "The crucial moment has arrived; there's no room for hesitation!"

With full force, Fang Xia circulated the "breathing technique," guiding the qi and blood in her body to rush deep into the skin.

........

Sensing that the time was right, Fang Xia's eyes narrowed, and he mentally shouted, "Now!" He then fully activated the 'Breathing Technique'!

"Drink!" Fang Xia roared, his blood and qi surging.

A tremendous force erupted from within him, slamming violently against that barrier.

Instantly, excruciating pain swept through my entire body.

Every inch of skin, every tendon and bone, was wracked with excruciating pain mixed with numbness and itching.

Sweat poured out like a fountain, forcing out the impurities from my body.

The intertwined feelings caused pain to rise between Fang Xia's brows.

With unwavering willpower, he cried out in his heart: "Hold on! You must hold on!"

Fang Xia desperately tried to maintain a sliver of clarity in his mind, frantically circulating his breathing techniques...

After an unknown amount of time, a soft "hissing" sound came from inside her body.

The excruciating pain subsided.

Fang Xia felt an unprecedented warm sensation rising up, and her blood and qi instantly filled her limbs and bones.

It felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from my body, and I was covered with an incomparably tough stone armor.

Slowly finishing her practice, Fang Xia stretched her body, feeling full of energy.

As Fang Xia focused his mind on his sea of ​​consciousness, he observed that the words "Great Talent Comes Late" on his destiny chart had changed.

[Sanyang Zhuang Minor Success (40/100)]

[Qingyang Palm Basics (82/100)]

[Body Tempering Realm: Skin Barrier - Intermediate Stone Skin Realm (1/100)]

[Introduction to Tiger and Leopard Bone Refining Technique (34/100)]

[Introduction to Qi Sensing Techniques (40/100)]

Looking at the "late bloomer" destiny, Fang Xia smiled slightly.

He murmured to himself, "In the early stages of cowhide, it is as tough as old leather. In the middle stages of stone skin, it is as hard as bluestone."

Fang Xia clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body.

He clearly realized: "My strength has undergone a qualitative leap."

One punch could kill a tiger!

In addition, defense, strength, and endurance have all been improved in all aspects.

Fang Xia secretly estimated: "My current strength is comparable to that of a veteran Stone Skin Warrior."

This was not a fluke; firstly, he had been making steady progress step by step since he began cultivating.

From laying a solid foundation with the Three Yang Stance to steadily advancing with the Green Yang Palm, I have never been in a hurry to achieve quick results, and every step I have taken has been solid.

Secondly, the Tiger and Leopard Bone Refining Technique is of paramount importance.

This secret technique enhanced his blood and qi strength and the resilience of his muscles and bones, subtly strengthening his foundation.

Even though Fang Xia has only just entered the Stone Skin Realm, his strength is comparable to that of veteran martial artists who have honed their skills in the Stone Skin Realm for a long time.

Feeling the surging blood and qi throughout his body and the skin as hard as bluestone, Fang Xia's eyes narrowed.

He secretly reminded himself: "The tallest tree in the forest will surely be felled by the wind."

With turmoil brewing in Heishan County, we absolutely cannot reveal our true strength!

With a thought, he quietly activated the "Qi Sensing Technique".

The fluctuations of Qi and blood throughout the body quickly subsided.

Between breaths, the intensity of the external qi and blood remained at the level of the middle section of the cowhide.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Fang Xia's eyes: "It's done!"

He thought to himself, "Unless one has reached the peak of acquired mastery and is above the Qi Gathering and Meridian Opening Realm, it will be difficult to see through my breath-concealing technique."

Such figures are extremely rare in Heishan County; they are all busy pursuing the innate Dao.

"They wouldn't easily show themselves, much less be so bored as to pay attention to me."

Having successfully disguised herself, Fang Xia breathed a sigh of relief.

Entering the Stone Skin Realm was just a small step on his path of martial arts.

There is still a long road ahead.

The Black Tiger Gang's spying, the mystery surrounding the Liu family tragedy...

And with the upcoming autumn hunt, countless difficulties await him.

A determined glint flashed in Fang Xia's eyes. "I need to continue 'playing it safe and developing,' keeping a low profile and patiently growing stronger step by step!"

...........