「Lin Mansion.」

Lin Bao clutched his bandaged wrist, his expression dark as he walked into the courtyard.

Just as he entered, he ran into a burly young man who bore a slight resemblance to him.

This young man was broad and powerfully built, with bright, piercing eyes, and he emanated a fierce aura.

It was his elder brother, Lin Hu, who was ranked second in the Lin Family’s Inner Hall.

"What happened? Who hurt you?"

Lin Hu saw the wound on Lin Bao’s wrist at a glance, and his brow furrowed instantly.

"Some kid from the Fang Family, at the Early Stage of Bone Refining! He’s incredibly arrogant!"

Lin Bao said, grinding his teeth.

He had completely forgotten—or rather, selectively ignored—that he was the one who had tried to snatch the target, which had started the conflict and led to his injury.

"Someone from the Fang Family?"

Lin Hu’s gaze turned sharp. Someone had bullied his own brother. As someone who had already seen blood and killed many people, he couldn’t help but exude a dangerous, murderous aura.

"What’s his name?"

"I don’t know his name. I could only tell from his clothes that he’s one of the Fang Family’s Inner Hall Descendants."

Lin Bao said resentfully.

"What Martial Technique was he using?"

Lin Hu asked.

"Qingfeng Swordsmanship. He’s already reached the Great Success Realm."

Lin Bao said, a trace of fear in his voice.

"My Realm is slightly higher than his, but his Swordsmanship is stronger than my Saber Technique. I exchanged a few dozen blows with him before I was defeated."

"Qingfeng Swordsmanship at the Great Success Realm... That must be Fang Han!"

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Hu’s eyes; he already knew who had injured Lin Bao.

"Fang Han? That recently famous Qilin’er of the Fang Family?"

Lin Bao was stunned. He had heard of this person, but he never imagined that the one he had fought just a short while ago was him.

"To have reached the Early Stage of Bone Refining and also achieved Great Success in Qingfeng Swordsmanship... it could only be him."

Lin Hu snorted coldly, his fists clenching unconsciously.

"So, it was Fang Han. To think he’d dare to injure you... I’ll remember this debt."

"Brother, that kid’s Swordsmanship is wickedly tricky. You have to be careful..."

Lin Bao said urgently.

"Don’t worry."

Lin Hu cut him off, a hint of arrogance on his face.

"Great Success Swordsmanship is powerful, but the gap between Realms isn’t so easily bridged. Besides, I have a feeling I’ll break through to the Late Stage of Bone Refining in the next few days."

"When he leaves the Fang Mansion in the future, I’ll find a chance to ’spar’ with him and teach him the price for hurting you."

...

Carrying the heavy eighty taels of silver from the reward, Fang Han crossed the Fang Family courtyard and arrived at Elder Fang Yuan’s residence.

Sandalwood incense wafted through the courtyard. Elder Fang Yuan was sitting at a stone table sipping tea. When he saw Fang Han arrive, he gave a slight nod.

"Elder, Blood Saber Niu Mang has been dealt with."

Fang Han said, bowing respectfully.

"Well done."

Elder Fang Yuan said, a satisfied look on his face.

"While completing the mission, I got into a conflict with a Lin Family descendant named Lin Bao. He tried to snatch my target first and then attacked. I had no choice but to fight back and ended up injuring him."

Fang Han recounted the entire conflict with Lin Bao that had taken place on the backstreet behind Drunken Spring Breeze.

"When the descendants of the five great families are out and about, friction and conflict are inevitable. As long as no one is killed and no one’s martial arts are crippled, it’s all within the range of what the families tacitly accept."

After listening, Elder Fang Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

He took a light sip of tea and continued.

"If the Lin Family were to pursue this matter, they would only be lowering themselves. You don’t need to worry about it. Just focus on your Cultivation."

Fang Han felt reassured. "I understand."

"However," Elder Fang Yuan cautioned, "Lin Bao’s older brother, Lin Hu, is not someone to be taken lightly. It’s said he has already stepped into the Late Stage of Bone Refining and is ranked second in the Lin Family’s Inner Hall. His strength cannot be underestimated."

"If he learns about this, he will definitely find an opportunity to cause trouble for you. You must be more careful when you go out in the future."

"Thank you for the warning, Elder. I will remember it."

Fang Han said, his expression turning serious.

"Go on, then. Cultivate well. Strength is the foundation of everything. Only by becoming strong enough can you fear no one."

Elder Fang Yuan waved his hand and picked up his teacup again.

Fang Han bowed and exited the courtyard.

...

In the days that followed, Fang Han devoted himself completely to his Cultivation.

The terrifying cultivation efficiency from his Eightfold Root Bone amplification meant that even in the Bone Refining Realm, his progress was still visible to the naked eye.

With every breath, he could feel his qi and blood surging powerfully within his body.

Every time he circulated the Crane Form, he could clearly sense his bones undergoing a transformation.

His qi and blood rushed through his body like a great river. With every circulation of the Cultivation Technique, it felt as if countless invisible sledgehammers were tempering his bones.

His bone density increased daily, and his bone strength improved at an astonishing rate. His entire skeleton seemed to be undergoing a subtle, profound transformation.

He could feel that he was getting closer and closer to the Middle Stage of Bone Refining.

One morning, half a month later, Fang Han took out a Qi Blood Pill and consumed it as usual.

The moment the Medicinal Power dissolved, a majestic energy far greater than ever before erupted within his body.

His Eightfold Bone Talent efficiently converted this energy into nourishment for tempering his bones. The sound of his surging qi and blood was faintly audible in the quiet Martial Arts Room.

"CRACK... CRACK..."

Suddenly, a series of fine yet clear cracking sounds erupted from every bone in Fang Han’s body.

At first, it sounded like ice cracking, then it became a continuous popping like roasting beans, and finally, it was as crisp and deafening as the clash of metal.

Fang Han’s entire body shook violently. He felt as if his bones had been completely shattered and reformed, and an unprecedented sense of solidity and power filled every inch of his marrow.

The speed at which his qi and blood circulated suddenly accelerated, and its surging even produced a sound like wind and thunder.

His bones faintly began to glow with a white jade luster, as if they were carved from White Jade.

’Middle Stage of Bone Refining, I’ve made it!’

Fang Han slowly relaxed his stance. A sharp glint seemed to flow in the depths of his eyes, shining as brightly as stars in the Martial Arts Room.

He gently clenched his fist, and a surging power far surpassing the Early Stage of Bone Refining immediately poured out.

’I feel like I could kill an elephant with a single punch right now.’

’From the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Bone Refining... in just one month...’

An amazed expression couldn’t help but appear on Fang Han’s face.

During the Tendon Refining stage, he had been able to advance one minor realm per month. Now that he was in the Bone Refining stage, the difficulty of Cultivation had increased, and his speed should have logically slowed down.

However, the activated Eightfold Root Bone amplification shattered this convention, allowing him to maintain his promotion speed of one realm per month.

The terrifying effect of the Eightfold amplification shocked even him.

’If eightfold amplification is this miraculous, what about sixteenfold...’

A strong sense of anticipation rose in Fang Han’s heart. But when he saw the line on the system panel that read, "Level 4 Amplification requires 10,000 silver," he couldn’t help but shake his head helplessly.

Ten thousand taels of silver was no small sum. Even with his current standing in the Fang Family, it was absolutely not an amount he could gather in a short time.

’Time to go test myself at the Martial Arts Stele!’

With his strength having greatly increased, Fang Han naturally wanted to challenge the rankings and improve his current standing and benefits.

He pushed open the door to the Martial Arts Room and walked straight toward the courtyard with the Martial Arts Stele.