With the help of the Bee Meat and the mysterious liquid, his master’s injuries healed completely in just over a month.

But he clearly hadn’t given up on breaking through to Huajin. He continued to cultivate every day, preparing for his next attempt.

...The mysterious liquid and Bee Meat were simply miraculous.

Under normal circumstances, injuries from a failed breakthrough like his would have taken at least half a year to even begin to mend.

And even then, there would be no guarantee against lasting internal damage.

But the restorative effects of the mysterious liquid were astonishing... especially for internal injuries.

Time passed. It was now mid-December, with about ten days left until the New Year.

One evening, everyone was sitting around the bonfire, chatting idly.

Over the past four or five months, everyone had changed immensely. This was especially true for Monkey and the other three. As their martial arts training took hold, their postures straightened and grew more imposing.

The two young women had changed even more. They sat on either side of Qin Fang. By the leaping firelight, their gazes could be seen fixed upon him. Whenever Qin Fang spoke, they would listen with rapt attention, each vying to be the first to respond...

Xile lay at Qin Fang’s feet. Its size had become almost frighteningly large. On all fours, it stood nearly 1.7 meters tall; if it reared up on its hind legs, it would likely tower at two or three meters.

It was well on its way to becoming a ’gargantuan beast’.

...For an Anjin Martial Artist, the mysterious liquid didn’t alter one’s physique.

But for animals, or for people who didn’t practice Anjin, it could drastically increase their Physique and bulk.

’If it keeps growing like this,’ Qin Fang thought, ’I could use Xile as a mount...’

And in fact, that was exactly what Xiao Jiu was doing.

Aside from Qin Fang, she had the best relationship with Xile. After the creature grew so large, Xiao Jiu would often climb onto its back and let it carry her as they raced around, having the time of their lives...

Well, Qinghe would occasionally join in, and Xile didn’t mind.

To the massive beast, the weight of the two girls was utterly negligible.

Months of relying on each other for survival had forged a strong bond between the two girls.

...That is, as long as Qin Fang wasn’t involved.

A young maiden’s heart is easily stirred.

Both of them were in the prime of their youth, and Qin Fang was not only handsome with profound Cultivation, but he had also saved their lives.

Furthermore, Qin Fang was always gentle, patient, and considerate to those around him...

For a young woman nursing her first crush, a man like Qin Fang was a fatal Poison!

...It was impossible not to develop feelings for him!

Everyone else could see it plain as day.

Of course, nobody had any objections...

...including their respective older brothers, Monkey and Xiao Qi.

In fact, they were hoping their sisters would end up with Qin Fang.

If their sisters could be with such a capable man, their futures would be secure.

...They had all seen firsthand how loyal and honorable Qin Fang was.

Roasting by the fire, chatting away—life was actually quite pleasant.

Qin Fang was in the middle of saying something with a smile.

Suddenly, a colossal BOOM echoed from the sky.

Was that a rare clap of winter thunder?

They instinctively looked up. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But what they saw stunned them...

The sky above the bamboo forest was faintly tinged with a red glow, a light that seemed to be spreading from somewhere far away.

And the direction...

It was coming from the direction of True Martial County Town.

They were all still stunned when, a moment later, another roar echoed through the sky.

’More winter thunder?’

The next instant, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky. It was red.

And then...

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

A dense barrage of thunder followed, each clap louder than the last. Red lightning tore through the heavens, growing more and more frequent!

...This was clearly not normal!

The master and his disciples exchanged a glance.

Xiao Jiu and Qinghe were clearly frightened, and they instinctively clung to Qin Fang’s arms, one on each side.

The soft, fragrant pressure brought Qin Fang back to his senses. He quickly said in a deep voice, "This lightning isn’t normal... Let’s go to Old Ox Back and take a look."

The view from Old Ox Back was the best.

The master and his disciples all stood up.

Qin Fang briefly reassured Qinghe and Xiao Jiu, telling Monkey and the others to wait there for them. Then, the three of them shot off, heading straight for Old Ox Back.

As they climbed Old Ox Back, they could feel something was wrong.

The blood-red lightning spread across the entire sky like a spiderweb, and this, it seemed, wasn’t even the epicenter.

When they reached the summit of Old Ox Back and looked toward True Martial County Town, all three of them stared with wide eyes...

A dense web of light covered the sky. It seemed that Old Ox Back was merely on the periphery; the core was in the direction of True Martial County Town!

They didn’t know how far they were from the county town, and they couldn’t see what was happening directly above it.

But even from this distance, they could see the change in the sky. At the edge of their vision, it was as if they could see a sun formed from coalescing blood-red lightning, bathing the entire world in its crimson glow.

A terrifying pressure appeared at that moment, weighing down on the hearts of the three!

It was a profound terror, as if something utterly horrifying was about to descend upon the world.

The master and his disciples were stunned. The deafening thunder grew more frequent, and they could even feel Old Ox Back trembling slightly beneath their feet.

With horrified expressions, the three of them stared, transfixed.

KRA-KA-BOOM!!!!

Suddenly, a sound loud enough to shatter eardrums rang out. The distant web of lightning seemed to be smashed by something, shattering violently.

Then, a feeling of unprecedented fear descended upon their hearts!

The fear came without warning, a heart-stopping palpitation so intense it nearly made their hearts cease beating altogether.

But just then, a vast and thunderous voice echoed across the heavens.

"Vile demon! How dare you commit such an act, so contrary to the heavens and cruel to all life, within the borders of my Great Yu? Do you truly think there is no one in Great Yu to stop you? Die!"

Then, the master and his disciples witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives...

At the far end of the sky, a colossal hand that blotted out the sun and sky appeared without warning. It pressed down, aiming for the very center of the lightning.

Then, a shrill, tragic scream exploded through the air, like the wailing of a billion infants.

"Yue Zhenyuan!!!"

The endless, venomous hatred in that cry struck the three of them like a physical blow to the heart. With a SPURT, they each coughed up a mouthful of blood...