PSHFFT!

The Mo Yuan Saber’s edge flashed like lightning. Wrapped in a vicious momentum, it sliced through the Wind-Splitting Iron-Feathered Crane’s enormous head as cleanly as a hot knife through butter.

Scalding-hot, crimson blood sprayed out, painting a tragic, beautiful streak of red in the afterglow of the setting sun.

CRACK!

The giant bird’s head tumbled down, snapping several thick ironwood branches before plummeting heavily toward the ground.

Su Yu sheathed his saber. Grabbing one of the Iron-Feathered Crane’s wings, which felt as if cast from pure iron, he leaped down from the hundred-year-old ironwood tree that stood hundreds of feet tall. Just before hitting the ground, he used Stepping in the Air to halt his descent, landing lightly.

Looking down at the massive Exotic Beast’s corpse, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Su Yu’s eyes.

’This Iron-Feathered Crane’s feathers are as hard as a Third Acupoint’s defense. If not for the Spiral Armor-Breaking Trait of my coin-throwing technique and the advantage of a surprise attack from the Five Senses Divine Trait, killing it would not have been so easy.’

’Not to mention its powerful iron-feather defense, if it had simply taken to the sky, I would have had a hard time killing it, even if I could defeat it.’

...

「Profound Turtle Island, riverbank.」

Night fell. A bonfire built from hard ironwood burned brightly, dispelling the surrounding cold, dampness, and darkness.

On a large spit over the fire, the plucked body of the Iron-Feathered Crane was roasted to a crispy, golden brown. The fat sizzled under the high heat, dripping down the plump texture of the meat and onto the coals, releasing waves of an enticing, savory aroma.

"Time to eat!"

Su Yu tore off a bird leg that was half as tall as a person and, ignoring the heat, took a huge bite.

HSSS!

The meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, was not only chewy and savory but also contained a surge of violent vital energy.

As the large chunks of flesh entered his stomach, it began to work like a furnace, converting the meat into threads of pure Qi and Blood that frantically nourished Su Yu’s body.

"Delicious!"

[Breakthrough Point Progress +1%]

[Breakthrough Point Progress +1%]

...

In less than half an hour, Su Yu had devoured a third of the massive Iron-Feathered Crane.

He let out a satisfied burp, feeling the fullness in his stomach, and reluctantly stopped.

’I can’t eat anymore. My digestive capacity is still a bit lacking. I’ll save the rest for tomorrow.’

Su Yu brought up his panel and checked his Breakthrough Point progress.

[Breakthrough Point]: 0 points (Progress: 5%)

’The progress increased by nearly 5%. If I finish this Iron-Feathered Crane tomorrow, my progress should reach 15%.’ A hint of joy appeared on Su Yu’s face. ’It really was a good idea to come explore the Black Water River.’

’I’ve only been out for a day and I’ve already caught an Exotic Beast like this. It’s saved me more than ten days of accumulation.’

’And with the remaining Qi and Blood, I can practice the White Ape Fist a few more times!’

Feeling the surging Qi and Blood within him, Su Yu immediately got up, walked to the edge of the sandy beach, and began to practice.

The moon hung high in the sky, its silver glow blanketing the river’s surface, which shimmered and sparkled.

"White Ape Asks the Way!"

"Swaying Forest Step!"

"..."

In the moonlight, his shadow stretched long. For a moment, he truly resembled a Spiritual Ape, breathing in the moonlight, each extension of his limbs in perfect harmony with the moon’s rhythm.

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

...

He practiced eighteen times in a row, not stopping until the searing Qi and Blood in his body was completely depleted. Su Yu finally ceased his movements, drenched in sweat and his muscles aching.

He looked at his panel.

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Fist (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 9830/10000)

’Finally, the White Ape Fist is about to break through!’

Su Yu was overjoyed. He had wasted almost no time recently, throwing himself wholeheartedly into his training. He had also used up all the resources he had accumulated for over a year. At last, he was about to achieve a new level of power.

That night, Su Yu returned to the Treasure Ship Cloud-Piercing Shuttle to sleep. Occasionally, the call of a bird would echo from some unknown place in the distance.

「The next morning.」

The eastern sky turned fish-belly white, and the morning mist had yet to dissipate.

Su Yu rose early, cooked a thick meat porridge in an iron pot, and ate a hearty meal with the leftover roasted meat from last night.

As the last mouthful of hot porridge went down, the Qi and Blood in his body once again surged to its peak.

Without a moment’s delay, Su Yu faced the first purple rays of the rising sun and began practicing the White Ape Fist again on the riverbank.

One time, two times...

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

As he finished the eleventh repetition, a wondrous feeling washed over him as if by divine inspiration. Before his eyes, the long-awaited line of ink-wash characters finally appeared:

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

[White Ape Fist has broken through to the Great Success Realm]

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Fist (First Layer) (Great Success 1/12000)

The next moment, Su Yu felt a sudden transformation in his Qi and Blood.

His Qi and Blood, which surged like a river, seemed to be drawn by a powerful suction. It was no longer confined to his limbs and torso but rushed madly upward!

It surged past the great dragon of the spine, crossed the major vertebrae of the neck, and rushed straight toward the most mysterious and dangerous pass at the back of his head—the Celestial Spirit Acupoint!

BOOM!

A thunderous roar echoed in Su Yu’s mind.

The Celestial Spirit Acupoint was like a star suspended in the void, violently pulling all his body’s Qi and Blood to surge toward it! His spirit felt as if his soul had broken free from its mortal shell and was now looking down upon his own physical body.

WHOOSH!

If anyone had been nearby, they would have been horrified to see the pores on top of Su Yu’s head instantly open. A visible, crimson-red stream of blood energy, like a column of wolf smoke from a beacon tower, rose searingly hot into the air. It reached a height of over five feet and remained condensed, refusing to disperse!

This was the sign of Qi and Blood beginning to leave the body, rising like wolf smoke!

It was the mark of the Skin Tempering Realm approaching Perfection, a sign that one’s Qi and Blood had reached the absolute peak!

At the same time, with the opening of the Celestial Spirit Acupoint, the membrane of skin covering Su Yu’s entire body seemed to truly connect into a single, unified whole.

From the Yongquan point on the soles of his feet, to the Laogong point in the palms of his hands, then to his chest, abdomen, and spine, everything finally converged at the Celestial Spirit point.

All weak points on his body had completely vanished!

Right now, there wasn’t a single weak spot left on his body. Even the skin on his vulnerable throat and the back of his head was as tough as old ox-hide, difficult for ordinary blades to even scratch!

’This is the Third Acupoint! I’ve finally broken through!’

Su Yu slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light seeming to flow within them. He could clearly hear the sound of his own blood flowing, as heavy and powerful as molten lead. He could feel the terrifying force pumped out by each beat of his heart.

’Time to test it out!’

SWOOSH!

Su Yu’s figure blurred, and he shot out like a gust of wind.

He sprinted across the beach, the wind howling in his ears as the scenery blurred past him. He covered a distance of a hundred zhang and back in just two or three breaths, leaving only a trail of shallow footprints behind him.

’My normal speed has increased by at least thirty percent! If I use Thunder Collapse Step, I’ll be even more terrifyingly fast!’

After testing his speed, Su Yu’s body twisted, and he leaped into the air like a white ape scaling a cliff, instantly flying into the dense forest near the shore.

In front of him stood a wild ironwood tree so thick it would take one person to wrap their arms around it.

"Break!"

Su Yu didn’t use any Martial Techniques. He simply channeled his Qi and Blood and threw a punch.

CRACK... BOOM!

A sharp crack echoed.

The iron-hard trunk was snapped in half by the force of his fist! The broken upper section of the tree whistled through the air and slammed violently into another ironwood tree nearby, knocking it askew.

’Incredible power!’

Su Yu looked at his fist, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

’Although this wild ironwood isn’t as sturdy as a specially-made Ironwood Stake, its durability is still comparable to a Second Acupoint’s defense. This single punch... my raw strength has increased by at least forty to fifty percent! The improvement is even more obvious than my speed!’

’If I activate the Black Stone Profound Armor, it’ll probably be like when I was at the Second Acupoint realm—I’ll be stronger than most Martial Artists at the Third Acupoint realm. Only a Martial Artist at the Perfection Realm would be able to suppress me!’

A glint of confidence flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. ’Time to check the Skill Level progression for White Ape Fist now!’

He quickly completed another full set of the White Ape Fist.

[White Ape Fist Skill Level +15]

’The Skill Level gain hasn’t changed, but I feel like my body’s stamina limit has increased again. Before, fifteen sets a day was my limit. Now, I can probably do twenty.’

Su Yu was in a great mood.

He had only been out exploring for two days, yet he had not only hunted a precious Exotic Beast but had also used the opportunity to break through to a new realm. This trip was a huge win.

After finishing the rest of yesterday’s Iron-Feathered Heron Meat, his Breakthrough Point progress reached 15%. Su Yu patted his stomach in satisfaction.

For the rest of his time, he didn’t practice the White Ape Fist or other Martial Arts. Instead, he stripped off his clothes and dove headfirst into the water.

’Now that I’m by the water, it’s time to practice the Bibo Fish Dragon Skill!’