Su Yu held his breath, gently taking out a specially made Jade Purification Bottle. He then carefully collected the precious Black Water Heavy Silver inside. Fortunately, while the substance was incredibly dense, its properties were self-contained, and it didn’t crack the bottle.

After securing the treasure, Su Yu took a deep breath. Bare-chested, he stepped into the core region where the dark red Fire Evil Qi was most dense.

"HUMMM!"

The instant he stepped in, a terrifying geomagnetic gravity, layered with scorching Fire Evil Qi, pressed down on him like an invisible millstone. His skin immediately tightened and turned crimson, and his bones groaned under the immense strain, as if they would be crushed to dust at any moment.

’Black Prison God-Locking Stake, activate!’

Su Yu gritted his teeth, his feet rooting into the rock below. He formed a hand seal and forced his body into the stance of the Pile Skill.

"INHALE!"

As his chest rose and fell, he devoured the surrounding Fire Evil Qi and the residual essence of the Black Water Heavy Silver in the air, pulling them into his body like a whale drawing in the sea. This ignited the human furnace within him.

"RUMBLE—"

His insides were thrown into turmoil, an unending roar echoing within him.

Tempered by the geomagnetic pressure—with the Fire Evil Qi as the hammer and the Heavy Silver as the raw material—the Black Stone Profound Armor on Su Yu’s skin began to change dramatically.

The originally hard, somewhat coarse, blue-black Profound Armor started to crack and flake away under the intense heat and pressure, revealing a new layer of skin beneath. This new skin was finer and tighter, coated in a strange, flowing silver sheen.

Pain!

The agony was like countless searing-hot steel needles piercing through his pores, deconstructing and reweaving his very flesh.

[Black Stone Body Forging Skill Level +50]

[Black Stone Body Forging Skill Level +50]

...

One hour... two hours...

Just as Su Yu felt his body was about to be crushed by the immense pressure, a crisp hum suddenly resonated from within him.

[Black Stone Body Forging Skill has broken through to the Minor Success Realm]

[Martial Arts]: Black Stone Body Forging Skill (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 1/10000)

Su Yu’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them.

He flexed his arms, and a tremor ran through his entire body.

His once rigid and unyielding Black Stone Profound Armor had vanished completely. In its place was a layer of skin that resembled dark mercury.

When he moved, the muscles beneath this new skin rippled like flowing water, free of any stiffness. It even created the visual illusion of being slick and smooth.

’This is the new ability from reaching Minor Achievement in the Black Stone Body Forging Skill: Profound Silver Flow Armor!’

’What a strange, wondrous feeling...’

Su Yu touched his arm. It felt cool and tough to the touch, yet it was like a layer of living, flexible armor—a clear improvement over the old Black Stone Profound Armor.

He drew Mo Yuan, turned the sharp blade toward his own arm, and slashed down hard.

"SKREEE—"

Instead of the crisp clash of metal on metal, there was only a strange, scraping slide.

The moment the blade touched his skin, the silver-black luster rippled, as if an invisible hand had pushed the blade aside. The sharp saber blade simply slid off, not even leaving a white scratch!

Next, Su Yu clenched his fist and slammed it against the hard rock wall beside him.

"BAM!"

At the moment of impact, his skin hardened instantly, becoming like the toughest armor. A deep crater appeared in the rock wall, but his fist was completely unscathed.

’When soft, it deflects force like mercury, too slick to hold. When hard, it shatters mountains like black stone, utterly indestructible!’

A brilliant light erupted in Su Yu’s eyes, which were filled with ecstatic joy.

’This Profound Silver Flow Armor is incredible!’

’Compared to the pure, rigid defense of the Black Stone Profound Armor, this new Profound Silver Flow Armor feels alive!’

Su Yu clenched his fists again, watching as the Profound Silver Flow Armor flowed to cover them, granting them immense power and defense. His confidence soared.

’With this Profound Silver Flow Armor, my power and defense should be on par with the Third Acupoint Perfection stage. If I faced Han Qinhu again, I could fight him head-on without losing, even without using any other tricks!’

’There’s still some essence of the Black Water Heavy Silver left. Can’t let it go to waste. Time to continue forging my body!’

Su Yu again took the stance of the Black Prison God-Locking Stake and resumed his cultivation.

[Black Stone Body Forging Skill Level +50]

[Black Stone Body Forging Skill Level +30]

...

Half an hour later, the essence of the Black Water Heavy Silver was completely depleted. With only the Fire Evil Qi remaining, the efficiency of his body forging dropped sharply, making it no different from using ordinary medicinal pills.

’That should be enough. I’ve taken all the fortuitous opportunities this place has to offer. Who knows how many years it will be before more Black Water Heavy Silver forms here again.’

Su Yu stood, dressed himself, and called up his status panel to check his progress.

[Martial Arts]: Black Stone Body Forging Skill (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 1200/10000)

’I’ve already reached 1200 Skill Level. That saved me at least ten days of hard cultivation. I’m satisfied!’

’I’ve been out for some time now. It’s time to head back to Black Stone City!’

...

The Treasure Ship Cloud-Piercing Shuttle cut through the waves, riding the wind as it sailed upstream.

Meanwhile, a dark figure shot through the water on both sides of the treasure ship, moving like a fish. It was even a bit faster than the ship itself.

It was Su Yu, darting left and right in the water, freely stretching his limbs as he pushed his Bibo Fish Dragon Skill to its limits.

[Bibo Fish Dragon Skill Level +10]

[Bibo Fish Dragon Skill Level +10]

Su Yu didn’t waste any time on the return journey, spending most of it cultivating the Bibo Fish Dragon Skill in an attempt to break through to the Minor Success Realm.

However, the cultivation speed for his Bibo Fish Dragon Skill had returned to normal, and he still hadn’t achieved a breakthrough by the time he returned to Black Crocodile Island.

[Martial Arts]: Bibo Fish Dragon Skill (First Layer) (Skilled 1300/1500)

Black Crocodile Island was crowded, with prying eyes everywhere. Not wanting to expose his true strength, Su Yu stopped cultivating his Bibo Fish Dragon Skill.

After returning the treasure ship to the Jiang Family, Su Yu took a ferry back to the Black River Crossing Pier and from there, returned to Black Stone City.

「Black Stone City, Su Mansion.」

Just as Su Yu stepped out of his carriage and onto the steps of the mansion gate, he paused.

In the shadows of an alley mouth a hundred zhang away, a figure was watching the Su Mansion. The instant Su Yu appeared, the man’s heart began to race, his face a mask of shock. A flicker of Su Yu’s peripheral vision caught the man pulling his straw hat low before turning and ducking into the maze of alleys.

’Is someone watching the Su Mansion?’

Su Yu considered this for a moment. Deciding not to alert his enemies, he entered the Su Mansion without a second glance.

...

「Black Stone City. Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, Vice Hall Master Xiong Wu’s quarters.」

Xiong Wu sat upright in a Grandmaster’s Chair, rolling two iron balls in his hand, which made a soft, clacking sound.

To his right stood his eldest disciple, the grim-faced Kou Xun. To his left was Sun Yan, his bald head gleaming.

Judging by his appearance, Sun Yan showed no signs of his previous injuries. He was bare-chested, his muscles coiled like dragons, and his skin held a faint, blue-black sheen. The Qi and Blood in his body felt like a contained furnace, potent but held in check. Clearly, his strength was far greater than before.

A disciple stood below, his expression panicked and his voice trembling. "R-Reporting to Hall Master Xiong... that Su Yu... he’s not dead. I saw him return to the Su Mansion with my own eyes."

At these words, the three men reacted differently.

Xiong Wu’s expression remained calm as his fingers tapped lightly on the arm of his chair. "Not dead? The boy is certainly lucky."

Kou Xun’s brow furrowed. "You may leave," he said.

The disciple bowed respectfully and withdrew.

After the disciple had gone, Kou Xun spoke again. "Master, should I make another trip to Ghost Mist Island? It’s strange that they failed to kill Su Yu."

Xiong Wu shook his head. "It’s of no concern. The Ghost Mist Island group are just Water Bandits; I never expected much from them. Since that ant, Su Yu, was lucky, we’ll just let him live a few more days."

At this, Sun Yan grinned, his face contorting into a vicious sneer. "Master, it’s perfect that he’s not dead! The city is holding the Yuan Lantern Festival, isn’t it? How about you let me kill him myself in the ring?"

Xiong Wu looked at this disciple, of whom he was most proud, but didn’t agree immediately. "How are your preparations for breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm?"

"Everything is ready!"

Sun Yan cracked his thick neck, and a series of loud pops echoed from his skeleton.

"I have now reached Third Acupoint Perfection, and my Qi and Blood can advance no further. My Iron Armor Skill is at the Peak of the Third Transition, and I’ve even reached the entry-level of the Black Stone Body Forging Skill. With the two combined, heh, even if I had to face Cui Wanhe again, I’m confident I could pulverize him!"

Sensing the surging Qi and Blood radiating from Sun Yan, Xiong Wu nodded in satisfaction.

To master the Dual Cultivation of Hard Skills and even reach the entry-level of a Xuan-tier Technique like the Black Stone Body Forging Skill in such a short time... a talent like that certainly earned him the right to be arrogant.

"Good!"

A flicker of admiration crossed Xiong Wu’s eyes. "Since you’re so set on taking revenge with your own hands, then I will grant your wish. At the Yuan Lantern Festival tournament, you have my permission to kill Su Yu! Use his blood to consecrate your breakthrough to the Flesh Refining Realm!"

"Heh heh... I understand, Master!"

Sun Yan licked his lips, the raw killing intent in his eyes on full display. "Su Yu... This time, there’s no escape for you!"