The movement was small. It was just a slight flick of the wrist, yet the effect was astonishing. It was like a bear rubbing against a tree. The trunk, as thick as an earthen jar, shook violently. Leaves rained down, and even small branches snapped and fell.

“Y-you’ve reached the Dark Jin Realm?!” Sha Lifei stammered, eyes wide with disbelief.

In their world, the hallmark of someone at the peak of the Light Jin Realm was the alignment of tendons and bones, allowing every move to draw power from the entire body.

Ordinary people lost most of their force on impact because they didn’t know how to channel their strength. Meanwhile, trained martial artists could deliver far greater damage with the same effort. The human body, like a mortise-and-tenon structure, relied on bones and tendons interlocked in a precise system. Only by forming the proper frame could one truly harness the strength they possessed.

If one expended enough effort, most could reach that level.

However, the Dark Jin Realm was different. Its focus shifted from bones to fascia[1], the dense network connecting the body.

By using their breath to create internal resonance, tendons vibrated at high frequency, amplifying the force that one could produce. Its defining trait was a type of resonance, ensuring one’s muscles and tendons wrapped into a unified whole. In the Dark Jin Realm, even small movements could produce lethal power. Some masters could lightly tap a person, only for them to cough up blood and die later.

That wasn’t all. Experts could even twist and fluidly redirect force to make their techniques unpredictable. It took less effort to produce a greater force, and the martial artist’s stamina in combat greatly increased.

Reaching the Dark Jin Realm required more than talent; it demanded a master to gain experience through daily sparring. Nevertheless, Li Yan had reached it alone. Sha Lifei was stunned, but he quickly grew ecstatic.

He whispered, “Don’t show this before the duel. I’ll place some bets first...”

Li Yan nodded calmly. “Place some for me, too.”

Despite Sha Lifei’s excitement, Li Yan remained composed. His breakthrough had been accidental. He had trained relentlessly for years, but in the days after his grandfather’s death, he had been lost, unable to practice. Without the Great Luo Dharma Body, even his newly visualized deity would have collapsed.

It was only on the road to Xianyang that he resumed training. He had initially been reckless, even injuring himself. But during the process, he discovered that something had changed. Stabilizing his spirit had sharpened his awareness of his body. With the Great Luo Dharma Body protecting him, he could train and cultivate simultaneously.

He had already reached the peak of the Light Jin Realm, but he had been stuck without a master to guide him.

Naturally, he had just entered the Dark Jin Realm. He couldn’t use his strength consistently yet, nor match seasoned masters. But with the Great Luo Dharma Body, he could trade injury for injury.

One clean hit would cripple an opponent.

The commotion drew attention. Wang Daoxuan saw the leaves falling and visibly relaxed. His partnership with Li Yan wasn’t just about the youngster’s divine ability; there was something else to it.

The day before meeting Li Yan, Wang Daoxuan dreamed of evil spirits entangling him. In divination, what he experienced was called a ghost dream, an ill omen. Yet repeated divinations afterward showed great fortune.

A magpie then brought flowers, signifying he was about to get lucky. Strangely enough, further divination turned ominous again. Wang Daoxuan realized that fortune and disaster were intertwined. A turning point in his life had arrived. In the end, he had stayed home instead of leaving. When he saw Li Yan, he knew something had changed.

Now, seeing Li Yan’s breakthrough, Wang Daoxuan finally felt at ease.

Nearby, Zhou Kangnian was equally shocked. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and entered his room. Climbing onto a stool, he retrieved an old wooden box, wiped off the dust, and gently caressed it before bringing it out.

“Young brother Li,” he called carefully. “Do you have a method for training at the Dark Jin Realm?”

Li Yan nodded. “My father taught me.”

To truly reach mastery at the Dark Jin Realm, one couldn’t rely solely on external movements. It required specialized internal methods, often involving inner techniques. There was the Tiger-Leopard Thunderclap, Toad Fishing Technique, the Humming Breath, Crane Cry, Dao Gate Thunder Resonance, Buddha Lion’s Roar, the Great Thunderclap, and several others. They all used vibration to stimulate the fascia, reaching deep into organs and marrow.

The Red Fist also had its own method: Threading Sound.

“Inhale and exhale like silk threads, weaving through organs and meridians.”

Li Yan was about to ask why Zhou Kangnian brought it up when the old man opened the box.

“I’ve practiced a martial art myself: the Chop-Hanging Fist. My skill is average, but my ancestors left behind something extraordinary.” After a brief pause, he added, “They were masters of Qin-Han war drums. They came from Xianyang and were famed in the jianghu. After making enemies, they fled to Huayin.

“They learned the Great Thunderclap from a mysterious master and fused it with drum techniques, creating a new path, the Divine Drum: Thundercloud Resonance. Here, it is my gift to you.”

Li Yan was stunned. “Th-this is too valuable!”

The Great Thunderclap was a secret Buddhist training art and was immeasurably rare.

Still, Zhou Kangnian shook his head. “My talent is lacking, and my son is gone. Keeping it serves no purpose. To sell it would dishonor my ancestors. You could have walked away yesterday, but you chose to fight. You’ve already taken on this disaster for my troupe. With your talent, you won’t disgrace this art.”

He handed over the box.

Wang Daoxuan added gently, “Take it. And we’ll waive the ritual fee.”

The ritual would have cost the troupe everything. Just like that, it resolved the burden on both sides. Zhou Kangnian smiled faintly and returned to organizing the troupe.

Meanwhile, Li Yan opened the box. Inside were three worn manuals.

The Pigua Fist Manual, Qin-Han Drum Rhythms, Divine Drum: Thundercloud Resonance

Flipping through them, he was surprised. The training method required not just breathing, but also a specially forged iron drum.

***

After the rain, the autumn sky stretched high and clear. The sunset painted the clouds in crimson. The next day was bound to be a sunny day.

On the muddy road, a group of over a dozen people advanced with difficulty. Besides Li Yan’s group, the Spring Breeze Troupe had brought performers, musicians, puppeteers, and even a few apprentices while their families remained in the city.

Soon, the mass grave came into view.

Among those who had come was Old White Face, the suona player and Sha Lifei’s acquaintance. He wiped sweat from his brow, looking uneasy. “Daoist Wang, those western beggars live here. They’re not easy to deal with. What if they interfere?”

“No need to worry.” Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “The place we seek gathers yin energy and is unfit for habitation. The graveyard is vast, and we will perform at night. We won’t disturb them.”

He took out a compass, studied it, then pointed west. “White Tiger devouring corpse, great misfortune. Black Tortoise lowering its head, great fortune. This terrain is unusual. We go this way.”

Though they didn’t understand geomancy, everyone remembered one rule: once on the mountain, no speaking.

They all helped one another climb the muddy slope. In the distance, the last light of sunset faded, and night swallowed the land.

1. Fascia refers to the strong, fibrous connective tissue that wraps around, protects, and supports muscles, organs, and other internal structures in the body. ☜