Chapter Fourteen: Ascension

Several miles away from Lu Family Village, inside a natural mountain cave.

Qi Xiu gritted his teeth as he stood before the iron cauldron, both hands endlessly thrusting and churning through the iron sand. Sweat streamed down his body, thick clouds of steam billowing up and curling around him.

Just a little more...

Stealing a glance at his proficiency panel, Qi Xiu took a deep breath and quickened his movements once more.

Today, he must break through the first realm of the Black Sand Palm.

He focused with utter concentration, pouring all his attention into the cultivation of the Black Sand Palm.

He had no idea how much time had passed.

In the moment his hands plunged into the iron sand once again, Qi Xiu's eyes suddenly glazed over with bewilderment.

A change swept through the aura surrounding his body.

An intense surge of energy pulsed outward, causing a wave of heated wind to roar through the cave, swiftly melting the snow that had accumulated nearby.

His hands, once rough and swollen from constant friction with the iron sand, now shed layers of dead skin.

Within a few breaths, Qi Xiu’s hands had reverted to their former slender shape, faintly exuding a powerful sense of strength.

It’s done!

Qi Xiu summoned his proficiency panel.

[Calligraphy (First Realm): 89.9%]
[Black Sand Palm (First Realm): 0%]
[Swallow Flight: 14%]
[Sun-Gazing Spirit-Strengthening Technique: 9.1%]
[Culinary Arts: 7.7%]

He lifted his hands and channeled his inner force. Instantly, his palms darkened to a bluish-black, muscles bulging, his hands swelling several times in size—brimming with formidable power.

It seemed as if a translucent wave of energy coiled faintly around their surface.

He strode to a stone wall within the cave.

Qi Xiu raised his hand and struck out vigorously with his palm.

Crack!

His bare palm slapped against the mottled, moss-covered stone wall.

With a grating sound of shattering stone, several fissures, thick as an arm, spread out from the palm print in all directions.

The entire rock face seemed to tremble from the impact.

The destructive force was terrifying to behold.

It was hard to imagine what scene would unfold if such a strike landed on living flesh.

“So this is... the Forged Strength Realm?”

With his breakthrough to the first realm of Black Sand Palm, a wealth of martial knowledge suddenly blossomed in Qi Xiu’s mind.

The so-called Forged Strength Realm was a threshold for martial artists.

It was also the ultimate limit for third-rate external martial arts like the Black Sand Palm.

If a martial art reached the Forged Strength Realm, the cultivated area could erupt with several times, even tenfold the strength of an ordinary man in an instant.

The manifestation of this power was the appearance of a transparent, invisible wave of energy, coiling around the cultivated area.

Shaking off the force lingering in his palms, Qi Xiu sat down on a nearby rock, propping his chin and staring at the proficiency panel.

The Black Sand Palm was a third-rate external palm technique.

Even if one trained to death, it would only reach the Forged Strength Realm.

Yet, judging by the panel, Black Sand Palm could be trained even further.

However, the manual only described it up to the Forged Strength Realm...

Recalling how he had once been trapped in the Qian mansion and had increased proficiency simply by practicing the palm forms, Qi Xiu’s gaze flickered.

He got up and returned to the iron cauldron.

Following his previous training method, he resumed his practice.

After about ten minutes, the Black Sand Palm—now at the first realm on the proficiency panel—ticked upward.

0.1%

“So it really does work!”

Seeing the progress, Qi Xiu let out a sigh of relief.

Black Sand Palm at the Forged Strength Realm was powerful.

But it was still far from enough.

At the very least, it couldn’t compare to Qian Yuchuan.

He recalled that night when Qian Yuchuan, swift as lightning, had punched the corpse child dozens of meters away, embedding it deep within the wall. Qi Xiu rubbed his brow at the thought.

Was that guy some kind of monster wearing human skin?

He was only in his twenties—where did such terrifying strength come from?

With a sigh, Qi Xiu tapped his cheek lightly and adjusted his cultivation schedule.

With Black Sand Palm now at the first realm, proficiency growth had slowed considerably. He would have to cut down on daily practice time and focus on the other arts.

Calligraphy was only 10% away from breaking through to the second realm.

He could devote a few days to pushing it up a level in one go.

Swallow Flight, a movement technique, would be his next main focus.

If he could win a fight, he would—but if not, at least he could run.

As for the Sun-Gazing Spirit-Strengthening Technique...

Casting a sidelong glance at the bright light outside the cave, Qi Xiu scratched his head.

How to describe this art...

It was effective—no doubt about it.

It not only strengthened the spirit, reduced fatigue, and made one feel more invigorated, but also honed the eyesight.

Its only flaw was that it was excruciating to practice.

Staring directly at the sun.

Such a practice, so contrary to basic human physiology, elicited fierce resistance from the body.

It was far more uncomfortable than the straightforward pain of the Black Sand Palm.

Moreover, every time he finished this training, he had to endure nearly an hour of semi-blindness.

His vision would be flooded with white, and he could only make out vague outlines two or three meters ahead.

Fortunately, as proficiency increased, this period was gradually shortening.

Qi Xiu’s gaze wandered among his various skills.

At last, it settled upon the one that had been with him the longest and had earned him repeated success: calligraphy.

It’s decided—you’re next!

...

Within the cold and tranquil mountain forest, a gentle breeze rustled the treetops and snowflakes landed with faint, crisp sounds.

Along a winding, meandering mountain path, two Daoists trudged through the snow. Both wore loose robes and bulging bellies—one carrying a bamboo basket on his back, the other lugging a bundle over his shoulder.

“Senior brother, are we there yet? My stomach’s about to collapse from hunger. Why don’t we find something to eat?” said the Daoist with snow-white skin and a bluish birthmark on his brow, the one burdened with the bamboo basket.

“Where in these godforsaken mountains would you find food? Let’s keep moving; we should be getting close to Baoxian County. Once we finish the task Master gave us, we can head back sooner,” replied the Daoist with the bundle, a red birthmark marking his brow.

As they spoke, the sound of footsteps crunched around the bend ahead.

A man, shouldering a bamboo basket and heading up the mountain to chop wood, eyed the Daoists with surprise.

Since when was there a temple up here?

“Greetings, masters,” the man said politely, smiling as he greeted the Daoists.

The two Daoists exchanged a glance, then both flashed sinister, eerie smiles.

“Limitless freedom—what a fortunate encounter, benefactor,” said the Daoist with the greenish birthmark, approaching with a grin, his neck subtly swelling and blood vessels writhing beneath the skin.

“Huh?”

Baffled, the woodcutter barely had time to react as the Daoist suddenly opened his mouth wide.

A thick, violent green mist surged forth from his throat, flooding toward the man like a living thing and pouring into his seven orifices all at once.

“Urk!”

The woodcutter clutched his throat, unable even to cry out, and collapsed in a heap.

“Hahaha! Finally, something to eat. My little darlings in my belly have been starving these past few days,” chortled the Daoist with the blue-green birthmark, rubbing his swollen abdomen.

As his robe shifted, it became horrifically clear that his belly was covered with fist-sized boils, within which some kind of living creature writhed and squirmed—disgusting beyond words.

“There’s a cave up ahead. These rustic locals have rough, greasy skin—it’ll ruin the taste. Let’s skin him there before we eat,” suggested the Daoist with the red birthmark, spying a spacious cave not far away.

“Good idea, senior brother. You always know how to savor a meal,” replied the green-marked Daoist, wiping away a thread of drool and hoisting the man effortlessly.

Laughing and chatting, the two made their way toward the cave.