Autumn gave way to winter.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Cangshui County finally welcomed its first snow.

Wushan County.

It was a large county town in Cangshui County, with a population of over two hundred thousand.

The area was known for a special type of ebony, an excellent wood for making charcoal.

This was how Wushan County got its name.

Old Huang was the owner of a tavern in Wushan County.

He stood at the tavern’s entrance, looking out.

The sky was dim, and a heavy snow was falling like goose feathers.

The main street was empty and desolate. Many shops had already closed, and not a single soul was in sight.

"Forget it. Time to close up."

Seeing the state of the street, Old Huang gave up any lingering hope for more business and decided to close up and go home.

Just as he was tidying up inside, preparing to shut the doors for the night,

a figure braved the wind and snow and burst inside.

It was a Swordsman in a Conical Hat. The moment he entered, he took off the hat, shook off the snow, and hung it by the door. "Shopkeeper!" he called out loudly, "A pot of hot wine and a plate of peanuts."

Old Huang glanced at the Swordsman. He had a hideous scar on his face and the look of a Martial World Wanderer who lived on the edge of a blade.

It was already dark, and there was no one on the street.

An ordinary shop owner would have probably refused the business.

But thinking of how bad business had been that day, Old Huang gritted his teeth and agreed.

These Martial World types might have bad tempers, but they were also known for being generous spenders.

Old Huang quickly warmed a pot of wine and brought it over with a plate of peanuts.

"Shopkeeper."

"Business doesn’t seem to be very good."

The Swordsman seemed bored and asked Old Huang to sit across from him for a chat.

"Indeed."

"These times are getting worse by the day."

"Who knows when things will get better."

Old Huang sighed.

"I’m afraid that’ll be difficult."

The Swordsman took a sip of wine and sighed as well.

The two fell silent for a moment, both seemingly lamenting the hardships of the era.

After a while,

despite the cold winter, beads of cold sweat appeared on Old Huang’s forehead.

"...Strange. Why haven’t I collapsed yet?"

the Swordsman suddenly asked with a smile.

Old Huang said nothing.

"The Medicinal Power of this Mind-Confusing Powder... it’s not enough to take me down."

"I drank your wine."

"Now it’s time to send you on your way."

The Swordsman smiled faintly.

The next moment,

a short sword strangely appeared in Old Huang’s hand, and he viciously stabbed at the Swordsman’s neck.

...

「Inside the Observatory.」

Han Yuan was practicing the Giant Spirit Monument-Opening Hand.

After a period of Cultivation, he had completely mastered the moves of the Giant Spirit Monument-Opening Hand. With every gesture, he could unleash a terrifying and violent Qi Power.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As Han Yuan threw punch after punch, the fearsome force of his fists compressed the air, preventing even the snowflakes from falling near him.

After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Han Yuan finally stopped.

Only then did the snowflakes drift down onto his body, melting instantly.

Having finished his practice, Han Yuan’s blood and qi surged. His entire body was like a blazing furnace.

Even standing bare-chested in the middle of the courtyard, he didn’t feel the slightest chill.

The next moment, a series of crisp, dense cracks erupted from his muscles and bones, like a string of firecrackers.

His muscles bulged, and the veins on his skin writhed like coiling dragons and snakes, a ferocious, crimson red.

His hands, in particular, felt an excruciating pain as a transformative power compressed the bones in his hands and arms.

After a long while, Han Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The exhale was unusually fierce, blasting five or six meters out and churning the gently falling snow.

’If my internal organs were a little stronger, I might be able to exhale with the force of an arrow,’

Han Yuan muttered to himself.

He opened his Skill Proficiency Panel.

Host: Han Yuan

Black Whale Oversea Skill: Sixth Layer (135/2500)

Giant Spirit Monument-Opening Hand: Mastery (0/1500)

Seven Stars Step: Minor Success (428/1500)

Eight Extremes Demon-slaying Saber: Minor Success (130/1500)

...

With the help of sixty Spirit Yang Pills and a month of non-stop grinding, he had finally cultivated the Black Whale Oversea Skill to the Sixth Layer.

Now, the Black Whale Sea-Covering Qi flowing through his body was exceptionally turbulent and powerful, capable of unleashing earth-shattering force.

Just a moment ago, he had also ground his Giant Spirit Monument-Opening Hand to the Mastery Stage.

The muscles and bones in his arms were strengthened once again, and his Qi Power soared.

’I wonder if my current Qi Power... could rival a True Qi Martial Artist.’

A glint appeared in Han Yuan’s eyes.

With his current Qi Power, he could already crush ordinary Inner Breath Martial Artists with ease.

Even Martial Artists at Inner Breath Great Success, though he had never fought one, were no longer a concern to him.

His sights were already set on the True Qi Martial Artists.

The transition from Inner Breath to True Qi was essentially a qualitative change born from accumulating Inner Breath to its absolute limit.

The destructive power of True Qi was far more terrifying than that of an Inner Breath Martial Artist.

In Cangshui County Town, the Inner Breath Realm was only considered the level of an ordinary Martial Artist.

Only upon reaching the True Qi Realm could one be considered a true top-tier combatant.

"Lord Han, Supervisor Du has ordered you to assemble at Dust Hall."

A voice suddenly called out from outside his door.

Startled, Han Yuan pushed open the courtyard gate.

Outside stood Jiang Guanhu, the one who had guided him before, his expression respectful.

"What’s happened?" Han Yuan asked curiously.

He had been at the Observatory for some time, but this was the first time he had encountered a so-called "urgent mission."

"I hear it’s an urgent mission."

"I don’t know the specifics."

"However, Supervisor Du specifically instructed that you are not to wear your Piyao Robe and that you should pack a few extra sets of clothes. It seems you’ll be traveling far."

Jiang Guanhu said in a low voice.

"Alright, I’ll pack my things and head over."

Han Yuan knew that a mere Little Attendant like him wouldn’t know the details.

After waving Jiang Guanhu away, he returned to his room, changed into a loose black robe, packed some clothes, and immediately headed for Dust Hall.

When he arrived at Dust Hall, he was taken aback for a moment.

He saw Huang Xian’Er leaning against a wooden pillar, cradling a longsword.

Next to her was an ordinary-looking young man with a long saber at his waist.

Han Yuan walked straight over and asked, "What’s the situation?"

The Huang Family held considerable influence in the Observatory, so she would likely know some inside information.

"I heard that a Feiying Tribe outpost in Wushan Town lost all contact overnight."

"The Feiying Tribe had no choice but to request our Demon Extermination Tribe’s assistance in investigating the matter."

Huang Xian’Er said softly.

’Trouble at a Feiying Tribe outpost...’

A glint appeared in Han Yuan’s eyes.

The Feiying Tribe was one of the three major tribes of the Observatory.

’To dare wipe out one of their outposts... Who could be so bold?’

"That’s all I know for now," Huang Xian’Er continued.

As the two of them were talking,

Du Qiuxu finally arrived and explained the situation.

It was exactly as Huang Xian’Er had said; it was indeed about the matter in Wushan County.

"This is Xu Feng from the Feiying Tribe."

"You will all travel together to Wushan County and get to the bottom of what happened at the Feiying Tribe outpost."

Du Qiuxu said, introducing the ordinary-looking young man.

"Supervisor Du, how many Contribution Points for this mission?"

This was Han Yuan’s main concern.

He had just about used up his supply of Spirit Yang Pills, so he didn’t mind taking a mission now.

But the premise was that the Contribution Points had to be satisfactory.

"Five hundred Contribution Points."

"If you find the culprit, it doubles."

Du Qiuxu said gravely.

"Then there’s no problem," Han Yuan said, very satisfied with the reward.