As soon as the words were out, the room fell silent. Everyone’s breath caught for a moment.

*CLATTER.*

The precious Feather Fan that never left Jiang Liuchuan’s hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor. His eyes widened. "Old Su... you’re not joking, are you? You said the Third Acupoint? You broke through the Celestial Spirit Acupoint—the so-called Ghost Gate of the Skin Tempering Realm?"

How long had it been since Su Yu had broken through to the Second Acupoint? A month? Or was it two?

The Celestial Spirit Acupoint was the most difficult acupoint to break through in the Skin Tempering Realm. Being stuck for a year or two was considered a short time for most; some people were trapped by this shackle for their entire lives.

And Su Yu?

His cultivation speed was actually increasing, and breakthroughs came as naturally as water carving a path.

*WHOOSH!*

A sudden gust of wind swept through the room.

Qin Fangqiong, who had been sitting upright, blurred and instantly appeared in front of Su Yu. His large, withered hand, like an eagle’s talon, shot out like lightning toward Su Yu’s wrist, carrying a probing Power.

Su Yu neither dodged nor evaded. The Qi and Blood within his body instantly began to roil.

*VMMMM!*

The great dragon of his spine trembled. A torrent of Qi and Blood Power, as vast as the sea and as dense as mercury, shot down from his Celestial Spirit Acupoint to the soles of his feet before rebounding violently up into his arm.

*BANG!*

The two streams of Power collided, and the air let out a muffled crack.

"Hahahaha! Good! Good! Good!"

Qin Fangqiong withdrew his hand, his murky old eyes flashing with an unprecedented light as he threw his head back and laughed. "Your Qi and Blood flows unimpeded, and your Celestial Spirit is open! It really is the Third Acupoint! You lad, you are truly worthy of being the successor I’ve chosen to carry on my legacy!"

With Master Qin’s personal confirmation, the last shred of doubt vanished into thin air.

Xu Feng shook his head with a wry smile, stepping forward to clap Su Yu firmly on the shoulder.

’Sigh, this kid is becoming a real monster. My talent as his senior brother is completely overshadowed.’

’Thankfully, he’s still in the Skin Tempering Realm. There’s still the major hurdle of the Flesh Refining Realm ahead of him. Otherwise, where would that leave me, his senior brother? I’d have no face left.’

Lin Wanzhu stood to one side, her lovely eyes shimmering with a dazzling light, her fair chest rising and falling with excitement.

A look of delighted surprise also appeared on Qin Yu’s face, her gaze toward Su Yu filled with admiration.

’This junior brother of mine has never disappointed. Now, with the martial arts hall facing such turmoil, he’s exactly the kind of genius we need to restore our reputation!’

Only Chen Fan, standing in a corner, kept his head hung low.

In the shadows, his face was twisted in an ugly mask of jealousy, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

’Why?!’

’I nearly killed myself just to reach the Second Acupoint, and he hits the Third Acupoint in the blink of an eye?’

’His aptitude is trash, so how is he faster than me?’

’Comprehension? To hell with comprehension! Why the fuck don’t I have that kind of talent?!’

Chen Fan roared in his heart, the venom in his eyes nearly spilling over. But he didn’t dare raise his head, terrified that the others would notice. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Qin Fangqiong settled back into his Grandmaster’s Chair, his mood vastly improved. He grabbed a chicken foot and took a bite, his tone much lighter. "Su Yu, since you’ve reached the Third Acupoint, I finally have some confidence for this Yuan Lantern Festival. Whether you face Ding Mianyue of the Flying Fish Martial Arts Hall or Sun Yan of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, you just need to go up there, fight for a few dozen rounds, and show them the foundation of our White Ape Martial Arts Hall!"

"A nineteen-year-old at the Third Acupoint is as rare as a phoenix feather in all of Black Stone City! Just by revealing your realm, you’ll bring us honor in this battle, even if you lose!"

At this, Qin Fangqiong’s expression turned solemn. "But remember! That brat Sun Yan has a strong killing intent for you. If you’re outmatched or in danger, concede immediately! As long as the green mountains are there, you’ll never run out of firewood!"

But Su Yu just shook his head. "Master, are you so certain I will lose?"

"What?" Qin Fangqiong froze.

Su Yu touched the Mo Yuan Saber at his waist. His voice was calm, yet it radiated confidence. "Once you step onto the fighting stage, there’s no such thing as a glorious defeat."

"This time, whether it’s Sun Yan or Ding Mianyue, I will win! Let me be the one to fight for the reputation of our White Ape Martial Arts Hall!"

Su Yu’s calm, powerful words echoed through the tea room, and everyone could feel the confidence radiating from him.

A peculiar glint flashed in Lin Wanzhu’s beautiful eyes. It was the first time she had seen this usually calm and composed junior brother reveal such a sharp, confident edge.

’Looking at his handsome face and confident bearing, she couldn’t help but feel a flash of pride. Tsk, tsk. The little junior brother who needed her care is all grown up. He’s becoming more and more manly.’

’I wonder if one day he’ll be able to turn around and protect his senior sister instead~’

Her gaze toward Su Yu was now filled with even greater expectation.

"Excellent! Su Yu, you lad, you have some of your master’s flair from back in the day! I will be eagerly awaiting your performance at this Yuan Lantern Festival!"

...

「The next day. Black Stone City, Central Plaza.」

Night fell, and the festive lanterns began to glow.

Black Stone City was adorned with tens of thousands of lanterns of every shape and size, decorating the length of Black Stone Avenue to resemble a brilliant, fiery dragon.

The air was a cacophony of voices, the streets packed shoulder-to-shoulder. It wasn’t just Martial Artists; even ordinary citizens had flooded the streets, eager to witness the new year’s grand event.

In the center of the plaza, a massive stage of refined iron rose from the ground, surrounded by the banners of the Black Stone Army, which snapped loudly in the night wind.

On the high platform, Pang Xuan, the Mansion Master of the Public Security Bureau, sat enthroned, clad in dark-red treasured armor. To his sides, the four great Commanders and representatives from the major powers were arranged in rows, their presence overwhelming.

"The auspicious hour has arrived! Let the Yuan Lantern Festival martial tournament begin!"

At Pang Xuan’s command, a multitude of brilliant fireworks shot into the air and exploded, painting the night sky in a dazzling array of colors.

*DONG! DONG! DONG!*

The war drums thundered, and a palpable killing intent instantly saturated the arena.

The moment the drumming ceased, a loud voice cried out.

"The Gale Martial Arts Hall will take the lead to kick off this year’s Yuan Lantern Festival tournament!"

A lean young man leaped from the crowd onto the stage. He cupped his fists and announced loudly, "I am Zhang Meng, of the First Acupoint cultivation. Which of my peers will come up to offer guidance?"

This was a customary warm-up match. Many martial arts halls vied for the chance to go first, to make an appearance and win the honor of a good start.

The Gale Martial Arts Hall had already made an arrangement with the Canglan Martial Arts Hall. The two would spar lightly, and one would take the glory of the opening victory.

However, before anyone from the Canglan Martial Arts Hall could respond...

*BOOM!*

A figure shot out from the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall’s camp like a cannonball, landing without warning with a heavy crash in the center of the stage.

The man had a gleaming, bald head, his entire body a mass of bulging, granite-like muscles. He was bare-chested, his skin taking on a frightening bluish-black sheen. His Qi and Blood surged around him, making him seem like a human furnace in the night wind!

It was none other than Sun Yan of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall!

"You..."

The young man, Zhang Meng, was startled. He stammered, "S-Senior Brother Sun, I’m from the Gale Martial Arts Hall..."

"Noisy! Get lost!"

Sun Yan didn’t listen to his rambling. With a savage grin, he swatted him with a hand as large as a palm-leaf fan.

Terrified, Zhang Meng scrambled to defend himself.

*BANG!*

Sun Yan’s domineering strike smashed into Zhang Meng.

There was no technique to the blow—it was pure, crushing power.

Zhang Meng didn’t even have time to scream before his sternum collapsed. His body was sent flying like a broken sack for over a hundred feet, crashing heavily to the ground below the stage. It was impossible to tell if he was alive or dead.

*HISS...*

The entire audience sucked in a collective cold breath.

’They’re already fighting? And he was so vicious?’

’This isn’t sparring, this is murder!’

But everyone knew how domineering and vicious Sun Yan was, so they only dared to mutter quietly.

Sun Yan didn’t spare a single glance for the broken man below the stage. He stood in the center of the arena, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a ferocious bear’s, finally locking onto the White Ape Martial Arts Hall.

He rubbed his gleaming, bald head with one of his fan-like hands, then raised it to point at the calm figure in the crowd and let out a roar.

"Su Yu! Get your ass up here and die!"