If Xiao Hua were struck by the Pure Essence Gold-Splitting Finger, his arm would be pierced by a bloody hole, if not crippled entirely.

"Another Finger Technique at Great Success."

Sensing the blade-like sharpness emanating from the fingertip, Xiao Hua was once again stunned. ’I’m fighting a monster,’ he thought.

He had no choice but to abandon his attempt to grab Xu Yang’s shoulder and dodge the glowing golden finger.

"You’re so timid, old man. Don’t you want to avenge that bastard son of yours? I ground him into a pulp. The Su Family sent out hundreds of men, and they couldn’t find a single bone after searching for days."

Xu Yang roared, his entire body glowing golden, as if cast from the precious metal. While his words infuriated Xiao Hua, he strode forward and launched a punch.

"You little bastard, you deserve to die!"

Hearing of his son’s gruesome fate, Xiao Hua was overcome with rage. He infused his fist with Gang Qi and threw a punch of his own.

"BAM!"

The two fists collided with a muffled thud like metal striking metal. Visible ripples radiated out from the point of impact. Within a thirty-foot radius, the ground tore asunder, and a dragon of dust and smoke soared into the sky.

Their Gang Qi poured into each other. Both men shuddered, grunted in pain, and stumbled backward.

Xu Yang felt his blood churn and his bones thrum. Every backward step he took left a deep footprint in the earth.

"So this is Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement? You’re not all that,"

he roared after retreating three steps, finally dispelling the backlash.

"How is this possible..."

Xiao Hua’s face was a mask of disbelief. He had been at the Minor Achievement Realm of Marrow Cleansing for nearly two years, yet in a direct clash of power, he couldn’t overwhelm Xu Yang. They were evenly matched.

’It must be that Cultivation Technique that cultivates Golden Gang Qi.’

"Are you cultivating the Vajra Indestructible Body? Or the Celestial Spirit Body Refining Technique? Or maybe the Golden Gang Skill?"

Xiao Hua demanded, a greedy glint in his eyes.

If he could torture the Cultivation Technique out of Xu Yang, he could rely on this Superior Technique that cultivated Anomalous Gang Qi. With it, he might even have a chance to glimpse the Celestial Essence Realm.

All thoughts of avenging his son were cast aside.

He could always have another son, but a fortuitous opportunity like this was fleeting. If he didn’t seize it now, it would be lost forever.

If he could reach the Celestial Essence Realm in the future, having another eight or ten sons would be no problem at all.

"Hand over the Cultivation Technique, and I’ll spare your life!"

The two exchanged blows at high speed. The turbulent Force they unleashed obliterated all vegetation in its path, flattening an area over a hundred feet wide.

He was confident he could take Xu Yang down. Although their strength seemed comparable, he was at the Minor Success Realm of Marrow Cleansing. His stamina was greater, and his Gang Qi was more abundant.

’After another hundred or two hundred moves,’ he thought, ’I will surely be the victor.’

"You’re truly worse than an animal. Instead of avenging your son, you’re busy coveting my Cultivation Technique."

Xu Yang threw a punch, once again clashing fists with Xiao Hua.

Their fists landed on each other’s Protective Gang Qi almost simultaneously. Under the ferocious Force, the protective barriers shattered in an instant, and both men grunted involuntarily.

’Such a tough body!’

As his fist slammed into Xu Yang’s body, a sharp pain shot through his knuckles from the backlash. The greed in Xiao Hua’s eyes intensified.

’If I had this Cultivation Technique,’ he thought, ’I could kill Xu Yang with a single slap.’

’It’s time!’

The killing intent in Xu Yang’s eyes suddenly flared. His entire aura shifted as a vast power surged from his very flesh and blood. A violent energy radiated from him as his body began to rapidly expand.

A terrifying pressure suddenly descended. An invisible power surged through the world, coalescing behind Xu Yang into the golden phantom of a giant bear.

The giant bear stood over ten feet tall. Its limbs were as thick as barrels, and its knotted muscles rippled like mountain ranges, radiating an aura of pure tyranny.

Fuyue Bear King’s Palm—the Martial Dao Imagery!

Xu Yang felt his power surge, the killing intent almost overwhelming his reason. He unhesitatingly unleashed the Mountain-Shattering and Mountain-Breaking Palm.

Terrifying shockwaves spread out, causing the surrounding earth to tremble and crack.

"A Martial Dao Imagery?"

Xiao Hua shrieked, his Heart Spirit trembling. The tyrannical pressure felt as if it would shatter his very will.

’How treacherous!’ he thought. ’To wait until now, after such a long battle, to use his Martial Dao Imagery!’ They were locked in close combat; he had no way to dodge and could only brace for the impact.

As the massive palm descended with the force of a collapsing mountain, he could only suppress the terror in his heart and raise his arms to block.

But he knew it was useless.

The power of a Martial Dao Imagery was typically exclusive to a Celestial Essence Strong Person. Only a few exceptionally talented geniuses could comprehend it at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success realm.

BAM!

CRACK!

The ferocious Palm Force slammed into his crossed arms. In that instant, both of Xiao Hua’s arms were horribly broken, the white, jagged ends of bone piercing through his skin.

"AHHH..."

Xiao Hua nearly passed out from the pain, his face twisting as a gut-wrenching scream tore from his throat.

But it wasn’t over!

After shattering his arms, the massive palm continued its descent, unstoppable, and slammed into his chest.

CRACK!

Xiao Hua’s body convulsed as if he were a ball struck by a sledgehammer. His chest caved in instantly, the sound of countless bones breaking echoing in the air. His eyes bulged, looking as if they would pop out of their sockets.

SPLURT!

Blood, mixed with fragments of his internal organs, sprayed from his mouth. His body bent backward like a cooked shrimp as he was sent flying, coughing up more blood in mid-air.

"Xiao Hua, you’re finished!"

Xu Yang dismissed the Martial Dao Imagery and chased after him. He caught Xiao Hua by the ankle in mid-air and, like holding a baby chick, slammed him down into the ground.

BOOM!

The ground shook. Dirt flew everywhere, and a dragon of dust rose alongside a piercing scream.

Xu Yang’s turbulent aura gradually calmed, and the golden glow faded from his body, returning him to normal.

He felt flushed and was drenched in sweat.

In the crater, Xiao Hua lay limp as a mudslide, not a single bone in his body intact. His face was a mask of pure terror.

"To think I provoked a monster like you!" His voice was filled with terror and trembled uncontrollably.

’Not even two and a half years!’

’It hasn’t even been two and a half years since Xu Yang became a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect. If you factor in the time he spent earning contribution points, he’s probably been cultivating the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm for less than a year.’

’Comprehending a Martial Dao Imagery in less than a year... his level of Comprehension is simply terrifying.’

"I regret not taking you seriously and allowing you to grow this powerful."

He was sick with regret.

If he had tried to kill Xu Yang earlier, things would have turned out completely different. But he had underestimated Xu Yang, thinking that with his talent, he wouldn’t reach Marrow Cleansing for another three or four years. He thought he could crush him at any time, and that even if Xu Yang did reach Marrow Cleansing, he’d be no threat.

No!

It wasn’t that he had underestimated Xu Yang, but that Xu Yang had hidden his strength too well. He possessed such talent yet never showed it, ignoring all the mockery and ridicule.

He was like a venomous snake hidden in the shadows: unmoving until the moment it strikes to kill.

"Everyone I kill ends up regretting it, just like you."

Xu Yang’s tone was calm. He had finally dealt with the man who had threatened his life ever since he joined the Purple Sun Sect.

"Any last words? If not, I’ll send you to reunite with your son."

Xiao Hua opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, a fist cloaked in Gang Qi slammed into his throat.

CRACK!

With the sharp crack of bone, his neck bent at an unnatural angle, the broken vertebrae piercing his flesh.

"Best not to say anything. Go reunite with your son."

Xu Yang shook the blood from his hand and saw that Xiao Hua’s eyes were wide open, his death a bitter one.

He bent down to search the body but found nothing besides a few hundred taels in silver banknotes.

"He was a Steward, after all. The body needs to be disposed of."

He raised his palm and blasted Xiao Hua into a pulp. Only then did Xu Yang return to the main road and continue his journey back to the Purple Sun Sect.

By the time he reached the Purple Sun Sect, it was pitch-black. Waves of exhaustion washed over his Heart Spirit.

Even though he had only used the Martial Dao Imagery for a moment, it wasn’t a power someone of his realm could truly control. The toll on his Heart Spirit was terrifying.

He forced his exhausted body to the dining hall for a meal, then returned to his room and collapsed into bed.

[Killed Xiao Hua. Points +50]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 317]

When Xu Yang woke the next day, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. The Heart Spirit he had expended the day before was fully restored, and it even seemed to have grown slightly.