The hall was deathly silent.

The dozen or so Direct Disciples standing on either side were frozen in fear, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Song Qingya was one of their master’s most favored disciples, yet he had just been killed by Su Yu in front of everyone!

Not only had they failed to get revenge, but this was another vicious slap in the face to the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall!

"CRACK!"

Suddenly, one of the Profound Iron Galls in Xiong Wu’s hand let out a crisp sound. He had crushed it with his bare hand, and iron filings rustled to the floor.

"Good! Very good!"

Xiong Wu grinned, revealing a set of stark white teeth. His eyes were as sinister as a ferocious bear selecting its prey.

"First he kills Sun Shi, and now Song Qingya. It seems this Su Yu is using my Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall as his whetstone, climbing to the top by stepping on my disciples..."

However, he didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, he smiled at Liu Hao and said, "You can get up. Since Song Qingya’s skills were inferior, you’re not to blame."

"Thank you, Master..."

Liu Hao retreated to the side, but he felt no sense of relief.

He knew his master Xiong Wu’s temperament. He was a "smiling tiger"—seeming to have forgiven him, but in reality, his own treatment in the hall would plummet from now on.

"Master, do you need me to handle this?" At the side, the towering Kou Xun, clutching a long saber, took a step forward, his eyes boiling with killing intent.

He was an expert who had reached Refining Flesh Realm Perfection. He had previously knocked back Lin Wanzhu with a single blow in the arena before being stopped by Qi Linfeng, and his heart was already filled with killing intent toward everyone from the White Ape Martial Arts Hall.

Xiong Wu shook his head. "Why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? If you make a move on Su Yu, you’d be breaking the rules. We’ll let Sun Yan handle this himself later!"

"You, go to the Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall and have a chat with Hall Master Zhou Sinan. Hasn’t he always wanted to see me? Set up a meeting for three days from now!"

...

「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」

The streets and alleys of Black Stone City were much noisier than usual. News of yesterday’s arena battle between the Qian and Yang Families was beginning to spread.

The name Su Yu once again became the topic of conversation in all the major teahouses and taverns.

Killing Song Qingya in three punches!

Such a terrifying combat record made many of the great families, who had previously kept their distance from Su Yu out of fear of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, change their attitude.

In this world where the strong are respected, the potential Su Yu displayed was worth taking a gamble on, even at the risk of offending the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall.

「White Ape Martial Arts Hall, Inner Hall.」

A rich, savory aroma of braised meat filled the air.

Qin Fangqiong was holding a braised phoenix claw, cooked so tender it was falling off the bone, and eating it with greasy gusto.

"Master, I wonder if I’ve caused trouble by killing Song Qingya?" Su Yu asked with a bow.

Qin Fangqiong slurped on the chicken foot and waved his hand dismissively. "No problem! In a Martial Arts spar, once you step into the arena, life and death are decided by fate. If you had lost, Song Qingya would have killed you without a second thought!"

"But you actually managed to kill Song Qingya, you little rascal. Did you really break through to the Front Mirror Danzhong Acupoint?"

Su Yu replied calmly, "I did, Master."

The chicken foot in Qin Fangqiong’s hand froze mid-air. His face twitched uncontrollably a couple of times, but he still feigned a breezy, unconcerned expression.

"Mm, not bad. You’ve got some of your master’s style from back in the day."

"Come, let’s go to the Martial Arts Arena. It’s been a while since I’ve given you any pointers. Let me see your recent progress in Martial Arts."

"Yes!"

The two of them went to the Martial Arts Arena, one after the other.

The disciples who were training all stopped what they were doing when they saw Master Qin arrive. After bowing respectfully, they quickly cleared an open space and gathered around, whispering to each other.

"Master Qin is going to personally instruct Senior Brother Su in his Martial Arts! This is a rare opportunity, come and see!"

"I heard Senior Brother Su killed that Song Qingya in the arena yesterday. Is that true? It’s unbelievable!"

"It’s true! The storytellers in the teahouses started talking about it this morning. I heard it with my own ears!"

...

"Su Yu, first let me see your White Ape Fist!"

"Yes, Master!"

Su Yu slightly closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

The next instant, his eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. He performed Qi Sinking into the Dantian, and the great dragon of his spine suddenly trembled, emitting a crisp crack of bone.

"White Ape Asks the Way!"

His body didn’t move, but his right fist shot out like a viper striking from its den, instantly tearing through the air.

"BANG—!"

The powerful Fist Force easily ripped through the air, creating an explosive sound. A junior brother several zhang away still felt his cheeks sting from the gust of wind, and he couldn’t help but be horrified.

Immediately after, Su Yu’s aura changed abruptly, shifting from agile to ferocious.

"Tongbei Mountain Splitting!"

He stretched his arms, the large muscle groups of his back bulging high, as if he were an enraged white ape swinging a giant axe.

Qi and Blood surged through his body, and his entire right arm faintly glowed with a blackish-green metallic luster.

"BOOM!"

This punch landed squarely on an Ironwood Stake.

There was no shower of splinters as one might expect, but rather an extremely dull, explosive thud.

"CRACK—!"

The Ironwood Stake, specifically designed for First Acupoint Martial Artists, shattered from the middle as if it were an ordinary wooden post.

Such power left everyone staring, dumbfounded.

’If that punch were to land on a person... HISS!’

At the side, Qin Fangqiong grew more and more shocked as he watched. ’My disciple really did break through. And such powerful Qi and Blood... it doesn’t seem like something that can be achieved with the White Ape Fist alone.’

’It’s the Black Stone Body Forging Skill!’

His perception was incredibly sharp; seeing the fleeting green glow on Su Yu’s fist, he instantly guessed the reason.

’What a kid!’

’A Xuan-tier Martial Arts, the Black Stone Body Forging Skill, and he managed to reach the entry-level in such a short time!’

Qin Fangqiong had also practiced this martial art in his early years, but unfortunately, his comprehension was not suited for this type of Body Forging Skill, and he had never been able to reach the entry-level.

In the end, he could only focus on cultivating the White Ape Fist, which was most suited to him.

’Is this what a true comprehension genius is like?’

’Truly, to master one art is to master all arts!’

’Not just Fist Technique and saber arts, but even this Xuan-tier Body Forging Skill is so easy for him to learn.’

Qin Fangqiong suppressed the shock in his heart, and his regard for Su Yu rose to a new level.

’With such comprehension, even poor innate talent can be overcome!’

’In the future, my entire legacy will likely be passed on to Su Yu!’

’I originally thought Chen Fan was a fine talent, but now, compared to this unpolished jade that is Su Yu, Chen Fan has been completely outshone.’

’I, his master, didn’t pay enough attention to this disciple before. I must cultivate him with all my strength from now on!’

’And as for Yu’er, she’ll have to get much closer to Su Yu in the future. The future fame of my White Ape Martial Arts Hall might just depend on him.’

Watching Su Yu’s tall and straight figure as he stood at ease after his demonstration, Qin Fangqiong made up his mind.

...

「By the time he left the martial arts hall, the setting sun was the color of blood, dyeing the slate paths of Black Stone City a golden-red.」

Just as Su Yu stepped into the front courtyard of his own residence, he saw several familiar figures standing by the stone table.

Yang Chongren and the Yang Sisters had been waiting for a long time, followed by two respectful family servants holding brocade boxes. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Nephew Su! You’re finally back!"

Seeing Su Yu, Yang Chongren’s eyes lit up. He hurried forward to greet him, his face wreathed in an enthusiastic smile, completely devoid of his previous airs.

"Uncle Yang, let’s talk in the rear hall."

The three of them went to the rear hall and sat down. Yaya deftly served freshly brewed tea, its fragrant steam swirling and dispelling some of the winter chill.

After a few pleasantries, Yang Chongren put down his teacup.

"Nephew Su, if you hadn’t turned the tide in this arena battle, I’m afraid the future of my Yang Family would have been uncertain. Mere thanks are not enough for such a great favor. I have prepared some humble gifts, and I hope you will not find them wanting."

With that, he waved his hand lightly.

The two family servants immediately stepped forward, placed the exquisitely carved red sandalwood brocade boxes they were holding onto the table, and carefully opened them.

"CLICK."

The moment the first brocade box was opened, a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire hall, its scent invigorating to all who smelled it.

Lying inside the box was a palm-sized Lingzhi. Its entire body was crimson like blood jade, its cap full and thick. The surface had faint, cloud-like natural patterns that shimmered with a gentle luster under the candlelight.

"This is a Red Blood Jade Lingzhi, at least fifty years old."

Yang Chongren’s tone was tinged with pride. "This is a treasure from the very bottom of my Yang Family’s chest. Ordinary Lingzhi only replenishes qi, but this Red Blood Jade Lingzhi grows in the crevices of volcanic rock and contains abundant, vigorous blood-qi. Nephew Su, you are at a critical stage of tempering your Qi and Blood. This item will be of great benefit to you."

’A fifty-year-old Lingzhi,’ Su Yu thought, his heart stirring. ’This is good stuff.’

In this world, the flora and fauna were much more potent than in his previous life. The medicinal properties of a fifty-year-old herb were already incredibly powerful.

Su Yu estimated that this Lingzhi was worth at least five hundred taels of silver. If he consumed it, not only could he accumulate Breakthrough Points, but it would also be a great boon to the growth of his Martial Arts’ Qi and Blood.

Then, the servant opened the second Jade Box.

Inside, there were no gold, silver, or jewels, only a lonely piece of rice paper bearing a bright red official seal.

"This second gift..." Yang Chongren took out the contract with both hands and solemnly presented it to Su Yu, "...is a twenty percent share of the annual net profits from my Yang Family’s businesses!"

Su Yu was somewhat astonished when Yang Chongren said this.

The Yang Family was actually willing to give him twenty percent of their profits. This was a true money tree.

This meant that as long as the Yang Family didn’t fall, he would have a continuous, unending stream of income.