[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Class: Demon Hunter, Swordsman, Boxer, Cook]

[Skills: Cooking (Master), Demon Finding (Proficient), Demon Control (Proficient), Tiger-Crane Form (Master), Blood Tiger Saber (Expert), Soul-Hooking Steps (Proficient)...]

[Enhancement Points: 876]

It was that wonderful time again—time to tally the rewards.

This time, Bai Yuan had earned a grand total of 876 Enhancement Points!

It was a shame Huwei Arts Hall was so weak on paper. The Soul-Chasing Tower had only dispatched a single Strong Internal Martial Artist and one Yijin Martial Master; the rest were all just Bone Forger Martial Masters.

The Soul-Chasing Tower’s calculations had been precise.

Because the assassins held out until Bai Yuan himself appeared to finish them, he was able to rack up so many Enhancement Points.

Bai Yuan couldn’t help but find it incredibly gratifying.

"Add points!"

[One hundred sixty-one years of practicing the Tiger-Crane Form. You temper your body with the Tiger and refine your qi with the Crane, cultivating both inside and out. Your force is immense.]

...

[Two hundred years of practicing the Tiger-Crane Form. Your force gradually grows immense.]

...

[Two hundred thirty years of practicing the Tiger-Crane Form. Your Inner Strength has reached the pinnacle!]

[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Class: Demon Hunter, Swordsman, Boxer, Cook]

[Skills: Cooking (Master), Demon Finding (Proficient), Demon Control (Proficient), Tiger-Crane Form (Master), Blood Tiger Saber (Expert), Soul-Hooking Steps (Proficient)...]

[Enhancement Points: 0]

Bai Yuan couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face.

After this battle, his Tiger-Crane Form was now at the Master level.

Just as it was in the game, any skill raised to the Master level would grant an extraordinary ability.

The ability granted by the Tiger-Crane Form was to Enter the Realm!

That’s right. He hadn’t even broken through the Strong Organ Pass, yet his body had already begun to generate force.

A situation like this was considered absolutely sensational throughout all of Xuan Yang.

Of course, in terms of pure combat strength, he was still no match for a true Entry-level Powerhouse, but the benefits were still immense.

The most significant of which was his self-healing, which had reached a monstrous level. This was a privilege one could typically only enjoy after Entering the Realm, but he had gained it ahead of time.

Beyond that, his body had been enhanced in every way. His strength was now terrifyingly immense; lifting a massive boulder was no longer a problem.

These superhuman abilities were all hallmarks of an Entering Martial Artist.

Of course, he was currently what people in the gyms of his past life would call "dead muscle"—powerful, but not yet capable of applying all that strength effectively. He would still have to flee from an Entering Martial Artist, but against a Strong Internal Martial Artist... the outcome was no longer certain.

A battle-hungry glint appeared in Bai Yuan’s eyes.

This recent turmoil had caused his combat power to jump an entire tier.

Of course, he couldn’t let it go to his head. After all, the example of the Black-faced Ancestor was a stark reminder.

His grandmaster had certainly made an imposing display by massacring a city. Afterwards, the Xuan Yang Dynasty put a price on his head. He only escaped death by fleeing deep into the mountains and living in total seclusion.

Still, the experience must have been a bitter one.

Bai Yuan wasn’t just some painless pixelated character on a screen anymore.

...

The storm had passed, but Qinghe City was anything but peaceful.

The Liu Family had been wiped out for siding with the Soul-Chasing Tower. Though its members were now dead or scattered, its assets remained.

What was once a three-way standoff had now become a power struggle between two titans: the Iron Saber Gang and Flying Eagle Castle.

Faced with such massive profits, Flying Eagle Castle abandoned its former policy of non-interference in city affairs. It decisively dispatched its Hawk Riders into Qinghe City, and tensions between the two factions instantly flared.

However, with members of the Divine Mansion Sect present, neither side dared to let things get too out of hand, at least not openly.

After all, the most important task at hand was still wiping out the remaining members of the Soul-Chasing Tower.

If they failed to handle this matter and angered the veritable gods of the Divine Mansion Sect, they would all be doomed.

Everyone knew that the ruthless Dong Wanjun himself was in the vicinity of Qinghe.

Huwei Arts Hall naturally received orders to assist in hunting down the remnants of the Soul-Chasing Tower as well.

With the Martial Arts Hall now home to one old man and one old cripple, Bai Yuan had no choice but to shoulder the heavy burden.

Old Xue was, of course, the "old cripple." After forcing his way through the Strong Organ Pass that night, he’d nearly lost his Yijin cultivation entirely. He only managed to stabilize after Bai Yuan prescribed him several therapeutic diets.

As for the white-bearded old man from Celestial One Pavilion, it was best not to trouble those old bones of his.

Bai Yuan, for his part, was more than happy to go on the hunt.

He’d been looking for a place to grind, anyway.

He returned late each night.

Xiao Qiaoniang would watch Bai Yuan return under the stars and help him remove his dew-soaked outer coat.

The mountain air was heavy with moisture lately, so his clothes were always damp when he returned.

’If not for Bai Yuan that night, I would already be dead.’

Because the path was now clear, Cheng Li and Li Ting were able to reach the small courtyard without issue.

Xiao Qiaoniang had been monitoring the goings-on outside. After confirming it was her master and senior sister, she pushed aside the stone slab.

Only after Bai Yuan had slain Assassin Four with Xiaoqing did he return to the cabin to lead the three women to safety.

"How is the Li Family?"

Bai Yuan asked while wiping his body with a towel.

Xiao Qiaoniang had long since lost the shyness of a newlywed. She focused on mending the sleeves of Bai Yuan’s clothes, which had been torn by thorns.

"The Li Family had already shut down their businesses and gathered their experts at the family compound, so their losses weren’t too severe."

Bai Yuan nodded.

Li Wanqian was a smart man. He had taken his advice to heart, which is how he managed to avoid being capsized in the storm.

The Li Family was in a much better state than the city’s other prominent merchant families.

Rumors flew as many families tried to discover the identity of the expert who had advised the Li Family, their success a source of great envy.

The Li Family also took advantage of the others’ weakness, seizing many of the city’s profitable businesses.

Of course, Li Wanqian knew his limits.

He didn’t touch any businesses belonging to the Iron Saber Gang or Flying Eagle Castle, nor did he do anything that would draw too much attention.

Thanks to his deft maneuvering, the families that had wanted to cause trouble could only swallow their resentment.

Xiao Qiaoniang found herself staring, lost in thought, at Bai Yuan’s strong, well-proportioned physique.

"Brother Yuan... if Mom and Dad could see you now, they would be so happy."

Bai Yuan now showed the potential to become a head disciple like Chu Yuan, his voice carrying significant weight in the Martial Arts Hall’s affairs.

He might not have the seniority of his senior brother Ma Dingjun or his senior sister Cheng Li, but among Martial Artists, respect was earned with one’s fists, not by years of service.

Of course, Bai Yuan was very busy.

So he didn’t waste much time managing the Martial Arts Hall.

He left all those matters to Zhang Yang.

Riding on Bai Yuan’s coattails, Zhang Yang had become the chief steward of the Martial Arts Hall’s internal affairs, his status skyrocketing.

He told anyone who would listen that he had a good eye for talent, and word was that he had already picked out several more promising recruits for the Martial Arts Hall.

"By the way, Sister Qiao, in a little while the Divine Mansion Sect will come to Qinghe to recruit disciples."

The turmoil with the Soul-Chasing Tower had gradually died down. He’d heard that the situation in the neighboring counties was much the same as in Qinghe.

The Divine Mansion Sect’s disciple recruitment ceremony would begin soon.

"Mm, Brother Yuan. You should go."

Xiao Qiaoniang hummed softly in agreement.

She didn’t want Bai Yuan to slow his progress on her account.

’My man is an eagle destined to soar through the nine heavens,’ she thought. ’Even if I can’t fly wingtip to wingtip with him, I don’t want to be left too far behind.’

’I’ll find Master tomorrow and practice my spear.’