Chapter 525 - 521: Minor Achievement in the Xuanwu True Skill

Chapter 525: Chapter 521: Minor Achievement in the Xuanwu True Skill

Sunlight slanted over the western courtyard wall, dyeing half the yard a warm gold.

The bamboo grove rustled in the evening wind. A few leaves twirled down, landing on Fang Han’s shoulder, only to be pushed away by the scorching aura emanating from him.

Time slipped by in the silence.

Over two hours passed unknowingly. The sun had already sunk below the courtyard wall, and the last vestiges of twilight were being slowly consumed by the encroaching night.

Fang Han was about to stop his practice and end his Cultivation for the day.

Just then—

HUMMM...

A low hum that only he could perceive resounded from the depths of his body without any warning.

The sound wasn’t loud, yet it felt as if something long dormant had suddenly awakened, sending a shudder through his entire body.

Immediately after, an indescribably terrifying power erupted from every inch of his flesh and bone, like a volcano blowing its top.

’A breakthrough.’

Fang Han’s pupils contracted instantly.

’My *Xuanwu True Skill* has broken through to the Minor Achievement Realm.’

His muscles tore, his bones thrummed, and his meridians trembled. It was like a long-suppressed volcano had finally erupted, sending molten magma surging wildly through his body.

His skin began to redden at a visible rate, the color seeping out from within and spreading outward in waves.

Before sweat could even form, it was instantly vaporized into a white mist by his high body temperature, shrouding him in a hazy fog.

His muscles began to vibrate violently.

With each vibration, countless hair-thin filaments of qi and blood were drawn from deep within his muscles, only to be woven back together in an entirely new way.

The qi and blood that he once had to guide with the unique postures of the *Xuanwu True Skill* now seemed to possess a will of their own, spontaneously flowing along a more profound and efficient path.

A series of faint, crisp cracks echoed from his bones.

They weren’t breaking, but reforging.

The surface of every bone was visibly growing denser and more solid. The faint, lustrous sheen on them grew brighter and more profound, showing signs of turning into a jade-like substance.

The marrow within his bones was also undergoing an indescribable change—a qualitative leap, a transformation from common iron to refined steel.

Beneath his skin, a faint, dark-golden luster began to flow.

The luster wasn’t blinding, but it carried an incredibly profound and heavy quality, like refined iron that had been hammered and tempered countless times, finally stripped of all impurities.

He could clearly feel his physical body strengthening at a violent and rapid pace.

If the Entry Realm of the *Xuanwu True Skill* planted a seed of Body Hardening within him, then the Minor Achievement Realm was that seed breaking through the soil and sprouting.

The tender sprout greedily absorbed the life Essence contained within the flesh of the Grandmaster Demon, nourishing itself and growing ever stronger and more resilient.

This enhancement continued for a long time before gradually subsiding.

The torrent of qi and blood that had been raging through him finally ebbed. His bulging muscles slowly relaxed, and his flushed skin returned to its normal color.

Only the faint humming that occasionally emanated from deep within his bones still bore witness to the cataclysmic transformation that had just taken place.

’An ordinary Late-Stage First Grade Martial Artist would struggle to injure me!’

Twilight had fallen upon the courtyard, and leaves rustled in the evening wind.

Fang Han looked down at his open palms. The dark-golden luster that had been flowing beneath his skin had receded, leaving only a smooth, jade-like quality.

But he knew that this body, which looked no different from before, now possessed a defense that had undergone a world-altering change.

Before, an ordinary Late-Fourth Grade Martial Artist would have had trouble injuring him.

As his Cultivation advanced and he faced stronger enemies, that defense had become increasingly limited—barely better than nothing.

And now—

According to the manual, an ordinary Late-Stage First Grade Martial Artist would now struggle to injure him.

It was no longer just better than nothing; it would be a crucial, life-saving asset in his fights.

’If I’d had this defense when I fought Meng Zhao...’

Fang Han muttered to himself.

If his *Xuanwu True Skill* had already reached Minor Achievement when he fought Meng Zhao, the Elder from the Red Flame Sect, he wouldn’t have needed to be so cautious.

Even if he stood still and let Meng Zhao attack, that old scoundrel would have struggled to leave any real mark on him.

This was the terrifying defense of a Grandmaster Level Body Hardening Technique after reaching the Minor Achievement Realm.

Merely reaching the Minor Achievement Realm granted a defense so formidable that it would make most First Grade Martial Artists balk.

’And my strength has surged along with my defense!’

Fang Han gently clenched his fist, and his knuckles let out a series of crisp pops. The sound was deeper and more powerful than ever before.

According to the manual, his physical strength had skyrocketed from the original 100,000 catties to 300,000.

It might have seemed like only a threefold increase in strength. However, since every muscle in his body had been equally enhanced, and combat utilizes the entire body, not just the arms, his destructive power had increased dozens of times over.

An indescribable sense of power filled his entire being. He raised his right fist and threw a casual punch into the air.

He used no Inner Qi, no Sword Intent—only pure, physical strength.

The air compressed under the force of his fist, forming a visible shockwave that shot forward like an invisible sledgehammer.

The shockwave’s destination was the courtyard gate—the dilapidated, red-lacquered wooden door he had casually pulled shut.

BOOM—!

A dull, thunderous crash exploded in the courtyard.

The wooden door didn’t just splinter—it exploded.

Countless splinters of wood burst outward as if from a gunpowder explosion, flying out toward the street.

The doorframe was not spared. The aftershock ripped the top half clean off, leaving it to hang crookedly from the wall, groaning under its own weight.

Fang Han retracted his fist. He glanced at the wreckage outside the gate, then looked down at his own right hand.

’The power of that punch...’

Fang Han muttered, his voice carrying a tremor even he hadn’t noticed.

If he was right, with his 300,000 catties of physical strength alone, he could contend with an ordinary Late-Stage Second Grade Martial Artist and even have the upper hand.

’And if I add my Late-Stage Third Grade Inner Qi and the Mastery Realm of my *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*...’

A glint appeared in Fang Han’s eyes.

If he combined his Inner Qi with his Mastery Realm *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*, even he couldn’t estimate the extent of his combat power.

But one thing was certain: even among First Grade Martial Artists, his current strength was now in the top tier.

Within the Great Realm of First Grade, there were vast disparities in strength between Martial Artists.

Meng Zhao was at the very bottom rung of First Grade Martial Artists. Previously, without the aid of the Wind Shocking Sword, Fang Han had only been his equal.

Now, however, he had far surpassed him.

’Time for a good meal to reward myself!’

With his *Xuanwu True Skill* having broken through to the Minor Achievement Realm, Fang Han was in high spirits.

He dusted off his robes, hung the Cloud Splitting Sword at his waist, and headed for the door.

The already dilapidated red-lacquered door was now nothing but half a frame hanging crookedly from the wall. He paid it no mind and stepped over the threshold.

Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, two figures from across the street approached him, their faces full of fear and apprehension.

Both were middle-aged men. The one on the left was quite tall with a fair complexion, dressed in a dark cyan brocade robe. He looked flustered and had clearly been standing there for some time.

The man on the right was stocky with a square face and thick eyebrows, dressed in a brown silk shirt. Beads of sweat dotted his temples, and he bowed before he even spoke.

"I am Zhao Zhengde of the Zhao Family, its humble Patriarch. I have come to offer my apologies, sir."

"I am Sun Mao of the Sun Mansion. I failed in my duties and offended you, sir. My crime is worthy of death."

The two men spoke almost in unison, their voices laced with an undisguised nervousness.

As they spoke, they each took a Brocade Box from an attendant and held it high above their heads with both hands.

"Those blind fools disturbed your Cultivation, sir. Please accept this humble gift as an apology. We beg for your forgiveness."

Fang Han’s gaze swept over the two men, his expression placid.

While he was cultivating, his Thousand-Mile Soul-Lock technique had already sensed the two men waiting outside. He had simply been at a critical juncture in refining his qi and blood and had no time to spare them.

He had expected the two factions to retaliate. An apology was a surprise.

"Take them back."

Fang Han’s voice was quiet but carried an undeniable indifference.

"I don’t want to see any more disputes between your two families on this street."

"Yes, of course! We will take your words to heart, sir, and never dare to offend again!"

The two men agreed profusely, but they hesitated as they withdrew the Brocade Boxes, as if hoping for something more.

But Fang Han was no longer looking at them. He walked straight between them and headed for the end of the street.

His cyan robe fluttered gently in the twilight. His figure receded into the distance and soon disappeared around the corner.

The Drunken Guest Tower was the best restaurant in Blue Rock City, and Fang Han had been taking all his meals there for the past few days.

He found a seat by a window on the second floor, ordered a few house specialties and a pot of warm wine, and began to drink alone.

The faint din of the market street drifted in from outside the window. Lanterns began to light up one by one, bathing the long street in a warm, orange glow.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Fang Han settled the bill and walked back under the moonlight.

Back in the courtyard, the two Brocade Boxes sat neatly on the stone steps beneath the eaves, clearly left behind by Zhao Zhengde and Sun Mao.

Fang Han bent down, picked them up, and glanced inside. They contained nothing more than some silver notes and a few decently aged medicinal herbs—nothing of consequence to him now.

He casually tossed the Brocade Boxes into his Storage Ring and returned to his bedroom.

The next morning, Fang Han left a ten-tael silver ingot on the table as compensation for the wooden door he had shattered with his fist.

He took one last look at the private courtyard where he had stayed for several days. He turned and strode away, his white robes fluttering in the morning breeze, and in an instant, he had already darted several dozen feet away.

With a few leaps, he vanished from the streets of Blue Rock City.