In an instant, a ferocious gale erupted between them. Their fists collided, letting out the dull, thunderous boom of exploding Ming Jin.

The few guards watching the fight scrambled back in terror, only feeling a sliver of relief once they had retreated all the way to the doorway.

In the Martial Arts Arena, Cui Wanhe’s Hongshan Fist style was powerful and weighty. In terms of the sheer destructive power of a single punch, its might was truly astonishing.

But no matter how heavy his punches were, two fists are ultimately no match for four.

Empowered by his Ape Shadow Swift Wind movement technique, Su Yu’s punches were so fast they left only afterimages. For every three punches Cui Wanhe managed to throw, Su Yu’s heavy fists, wreathed in a bloody, malevolent aura, had already landed more than a dozen times like a raging tempest.

BOOM!

Under the cumulative force of the Ming Jin, Cui Wanhe felt as if his chest had been struck by a hammer. His stable stance gave way, and his body was thrown backward.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

With each step he took backward, he left a deep, crack-webbed crater in the hard bluestone pavers. It took a full seven or eight steps before Cui Wanhe could finally dissipate the overbearing force and steady himself.

Su Yu, in contrast, merely used the momentum to take half a step back. The ground beneath his feet was completely unscathed.

The difference in their abilities was instantly clear!

Seeing this, the guards at the doorway gasped, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Did you see that? The Master actually forced Cui Wanhe back!"

"I think so! That’s Cui Wanhe we’re talking about! You don’t think... our Master is even stronger than him?"

The thought left the guards dumbstruck.

’Stronger than Cui Wanhe?’

’Doesn’t that make him the true number one prodigy in Black Stone City?’

In the center of the arena, Cui Wanhe looked down at the stone pavers he had shattered and exhaled a long, turbid breath.

He looked up, and his usually cold and stern eyes held not a hint of defeat. Instead, they burned with an even more fervent battle lust, along with a trace of admiration.

"Brother Su, what an impressive display." Cui Wanhe cupped his fist, his tone earnest. "At the Dinglong Association, you told me not to suppress my realm. I thought you were just being young and arrogant. It seems I was the frog in the well. I never imagined the Outer City of Black Stone City was hiding a prodigy like you!"

Seeing that Cui Wanhe was not discouraged despite being bested, but was instead magnanimous, Su Yu couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for him.

The world was full of prodigies who had only ever known smooth sailing and couldn’t handle the slightest setback. A martial arts fanatic like Cui Wanhe was truly someone worth befriending.

The two lowered their stances and continued their discussion by lamplight in the courtyard, exchanging insights on the path of Martial Arts. Cui Wanhe held nothing back, and Su Yu offered his own profound observations. Both felt they had benefited immensely.

It was nearly midnight when Cui Wanhe reluctantly cupped his fist to take his leave.

"Brother Su, today’s battle was exhilarating. I must come again for another lesson when you have the time." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "However, my greatest strength is ultimately my saber-work. Once your Treasure Saber is forged, we must have a proper duel of blades."

Su Yu understood the unspoken challenge and laughed heartily. "Of course! Brother Cui, you are welcome at my home anytime."

After seeing Cui Wanhe off, Su Yu noticed Li Jin still whispering excitedly with a few guards at the gate. He chided them with a laugh, "Alright now, not a word about tonight’s spar to anyone outside. Go draw some silver and find someone to repair this courtyard floor tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Master." Li Jin hastily bowed and accepted the order, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Su Yu growing even more fanatical.

...

「A new day.」

Su Yu was in the Martial Arts Arena, analyzing the force-generation principles of the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step, when a flurry of urgent footsteps sounded from the Inner Courtyard.

"Brother Su, I found it."

Yang Zhen came running out, clutching a yellowed ancient tome, her face flush with excitement. She was running so fast that her robes pulled taut, and the two full, soft mounds on her chest bounced with every step, tracing a breathtaking arc.

Only when she was right in front of him did Yang Zhen notice Su Yu’s stare. Following his gaze downward, her pretty face instantly flushed crimson, yet deep down, she felt an inexplicable trace of sweetness.

Su Yu gave a dry cough and nonchalantly averted his eyes. "Zhen’Er, what did you find?"

"The Object-Retrieval Incantation." Yang Zhen excitedly handed the ancient book to him. "If we can master this incantation, we might be able to open that ring and the Jade Pendant from the storeroom."

Su Yu’s spirits lifted at her words. He took the ancient book and quickly leafed through it.

Written on the pages in tiny, neat script was an obscure incantation:

"Let divine sense guard the heart; Spirit Platform Embracing One. A mustard seed contains a mountain; the void dissolves to dust. With thought as the guide, borrow power from the universe..."

’It really is a method for manipulating objects with spiritual sense,’ Su Yu’s eyes lit up. ’According to this, as long as one’s spiritual sense is powerful enough, this incantation can be used to connect with the pocket dimension inside a Storage Magical Artifact.’

"Brother Su, go on, try it!"

The two of them immediately hurried to the storeroom in the rear courtyard.

Su Yu retrieved the simple, dark-colored ring from a hidden compartment. He focused his mind, calmed his breath, and began to attempt the incantation from the book.

"’Let divine sense guard the heart; Spirit Platform Embracing One...’"

However, he was only halfway through the chant when a sharp, stabbing pain and a wave of dizziness emanated from deep within his mind, as if an invisible needle were churning inside his brain. His Spiritual Power scattered like a kite with a broken string, forcing the incantation to a halt.

He tried three consecutive times, each with the same result.

What made Su Yu frown, however, was that the familiar text of his status panel didn’t appear.

Apparently, this storage incantation was merely a simple formula for directing Spiritual Power; it wasn’t considered a form of Martial Arts.

’I keep failing. This is a problem.’ Su Yu rubbed his throbbing temples. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Zhen’Er, you try."

Yang Zhen took the ring and the ancient book. Closing her eyes, she parted her lips slightly and began to silently recite the incantation.

She fared much better than Su Yu. However, just as she was most of the way through, her delicate body swayed and her face paled as she, too, was forced to stop.

She tried several more times, each attempt ending in failure.

"Brother Su, the drain on one’s Spiritual Power is terrifying. My own reserves aren’t nearly deep enough to sustain it." Yang Zhen rubbed her temples and shook her head in resignation.

Su Yu had also figured out the crux of the problem. What surprised him was that even though Yang Zhen’s Martial Arts Realm was far below his, her foundational Spiritual Power seemed to be a cut above his own, allowing her to maintain the incantation for longer.

’Spiritual Power is an ethereal, intangible thing. It can’t be trained or improved through ordinary means.’ Su Yu stroked his chin, his gaze falling upon a nearby rosewood display shelf. ’However, we happen to have something on hand that might just work.’

He walked over and took down an exquisite brocade box. He opened the lid. Inside lay a single fruit, no bigger than a grape.

This was the Yun Jin Spirit Fruit, a gift from Yu Linglong of the Linglong Pavilion.

The fruit’s skin was shriveled and dull, and it lacked the refreshing, exotic fragrance typical of precious medicinal herbs. Anyone unfamiliar with it would almost certainly mistake it for a common wild berry found by the roadside.

"Brother Su, can this fruit really enhance Spiritual Power?" Yang Zhen asked, eyeing the thoroughly unremarkable spirit fruit with skepticism.

"Yu Linglong once said this is an ancient spirit fruit that specializes in nourishing the soul. It’s only because the current path of Martial Arts focuses solely on cultivating the physical body and one’s Qi and Blood, not the soul, that this fruit is now considered useless," Su Yu said, picking up the fruit with two fingers. "We’ll know if that’s true once I try it."

Without further hesitation, he tossed the Yun Jin Spirit Fruit into his mouth and swallowed it.

The fruit pulp melted the moment it entered his mouth. It wasn’t sweet or sour, but instead transformed into an intensely cold, icy current that shot up his throat and into his mind.

BOOM!

Su Yu felt his mind jolt. The fatigue and grogginess deep within his consciousness were swept away, replaced by an unprecedented clarity.

His five senses became preternaturally sharp. The green of the leaves on the trees a hundred paces from the house, the buzzing wings of a tiny insect on the ground... everything became crystal clear.

’What potent medicinal effects. The boost this spirit fruit gives to my Spiritual Power is instantaneous.’

He had barely finished the thought when, in the next moment, the ink-wash characters that lit up in his vision made his heart skip a beat.

[Breakthrough Point Skill Level +5%]

[Breakthrough Point Skill Level +5%]

[Breakthrough Point Skill Level +5%]

...

The string of notifications made Su Yu think his eyes were playing tricks on him. He took a deep breath and quickly summoned his full status panel to confirm.

[Breakthrough Points]: 1 (Progress: 92%)

’I’ve hit the jackpot!’

This Yun Jin Spirit Fruit might not have increased his Qi and Blood in the slightest, but the level of energy it contained was by no means low. This single, tiny fruit had caused his Breakthrough Point progress to skyrocket by a full 30%.

’This isn’t useless at all, it’s a priceless treasure!’ Su Yu was ecstatic.

"Brother Su, is something wrong with the fruit?" Seeing Su Yu standing frozen with a shifting expression, Yang Zhen couldn’t help but tug on his sleeve in concern.

"It’s nothing, just a wonderfully good thing." Su Yu suppressed his excitement, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Zhen’Er, I’m going to try the storage incantation one more time."

With his Spiritual Power greatly enhanced, Su Yu once again picked up the dark ring, focused his mind, and began to form the hand seals.

This time, the feeling of resistance and the stabbing pain were significantly reduced.

He recited more than two-thirds of the obscure incantation with extreme smoothness. However, just as he was about to utter the final word, a powerful draining sensation suddenly emanated from deep within his mind.

The incantation dissipated once more, and the ring remained inert.

"Did it fail again?" Yang Zhen’s face fell. ’He was so close, just one step away.’

"It’s fine. We just need one final push."

Su Yu took a deep breath, turning to Yang Zhen with a smile playing on his lips. "Zhen’Er, lend me some of your Wood Spirit Qi."

Before the young woman had a chance to feel shy, Su Yu had already wrapped a domineering arm around her slender waist, bent his head, and precisely captured her delicate, alluring lips.

"Mm..."

Yang Zhen let out a soft cry. Her body went limp as she obediently closed her eyes, transferring the Wood Spirit Qi, brimming with vigorous life, to him through their kiss.

Once the Wood Spirit Qi had nourished him and swiftly banished his fatigue, Su Yu contentedly released the young woman, whose face was now as flushed and lovely as a peach blossom.

He strode over to another Jade Box and lifted the lid. Inside lay a section of lotus root that was translucent and white with a reddish blush.

It was a piece of the Red Lotus Root that had survived in the pond, a small section Zhen’Er had cut just two days prior.

Su Yu grabbed the lotus root and began to CRUNCH it down in large bites as if it were a radish. It was crisp, refreshing, and full of juice.

As the medicinal power dissolved in his stomach, the familiar text once again appeared before his eyes.

[Breakthrough Point Skill Level +2%]

[Breakthrough Point Skill Level +2%]

...

In the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the medicinal power of the Red Lotus Root was completely absorbed, and his Skill Level finally filled the remaining gap.

[Breakthrough Points]: 2 (Progress: 2%)

’I’ve finally saved up two points!’

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Yu focused his mind on the plus sign after his Reading skill.

’My Spiritual Power is just one step from a breakthrough. I have to seize this opportunity.’

As he mentally pressed the button, new text appeared before his eyes.

[Reading Skill has successfully broken its limit for the second time. Cost: 2 Breakthrough Points]

[Trait Awakened: Pierce Falsehood, See Truth]