Another Year Alive, the Third Dao Fruit!

Day after day passed. Li Changsheng used several doses of high-quality White Spirit Secret Medicine and used Wind Shadow Leg to polish his skin a second time. It took a full two months before the stone skin on his legs completed its second polishing, successfully transformed, and reached Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment.

With Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment, Li Changsheng had officially become an Iron Skin Realm Martial Artist. The strength throughout his body surged, and his vital blood increased considerably.

"It took so long just to polish the stone skin on my legs a second time and attain Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment. If I want to reach the Iron Skin Realm across my entire body, it will take a very long time. I probably won't manage it before the third Dao Fruit is born!"

When his entire body reached Stone Skin Perfection, he was already strong enough to match a Bronze Skin Realm Martial Artist. If his entire body reached Iron Skin Perfection, his strength would certainly rival that of a Silver Skin Realm Martial Artist, and a Silver Skin Realm Martial Artist possessed combat power equivalent to an ordinary Bone Refining Realm Martial Artist.

In other words, once his entire body reached Iron Skin Perfection, he would possess combat power equal to that of an ordinary Bone Refining Realm Martial Artist.

Over the days that followed, he continued cultivating bitterly, and his strength steadily improved.

Another two months passed. Li Changsheng cultivated Azure Steel Fist to the peak of the entry level, while both his hands completed their second skin polishing and broke through to Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment.

Moreover, Azure Steel Fist was an offensive Skin Polishing Martial Art. Having mastered Azure Steel Fist at the peak of the entry level, combined with both hands reaching Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment, his strength had now risen greatly.

One day.

Li Changsheng arrived at Azure Steel Martial Hall. As soon as he got there, he saw quite a few disciples discussing something.

"Senior Brother Du Hai, what happened?" Li Changsheng asked.

Du Hai sighed. "Second Senior Brother is dead!"

"What? Second Senior Brother is dead?" Li Changsheng was shocked. By now, he knew the strength of Second Senior Brother Chang Shanle—Great Accomplishment Bronze Bone, second only to Senior Brother Qin Xun and Senior Sister Xiao Ling.

There was no Stone Bone stage in the Bone Refining Realm. Upon breaking through, one immediately attained Iron Bone, followed by realms such as Bronze Bone and Silver Bone. Once one reached Bronze Bone Perfection, one was qualified to attempt the Tendon Refining Realm.

Senior Brother and Senior Sister were both at the Tendon Refining Realm, while their master was at the fourth physical body realm, the Blood Changing Realm.

It could be said that Second Senior Brother Chang Shanle was the fourth-strongest person in Azure Steel Martial Hall, yet he had suddenly died.

"Who killed him?" Li Changsheng asked.

"A demon," Du Hai said. "Last night, a demon ambushed and killed Second Senior Brother Chang Shanle. Second Senior Brother was killed without any ability to resist, and his body wasn't discovered until this morning!"

"What kind of demon was it?" Li Changsheng asked again.

"Not sure, but it should be a wolf-type demon. The senior brothers are all guessing that it was retaliation from the wolf demons. We wiped out Qingfeng Demon Stockade, and the wolf demon clan suffered heavy losses. They may have sent wolf demons to take revenge!" Du Hai said.

Li Changsheng frowned. "Senior Brother Du Hai, this is Baiye City. Are wolf demons really that bold?"

Du Hai smiled. "The wolf demon clan also has demons skilled in transformation. They don't dare enter the inner city, but there aren't any particularly powerful Martial Artists in the outer city. As long as they are careful, there naturally won't be much of a problem. Every year, there are quite a few cases of demons attacking humans. The inner city doesn't really care either. They believe that as long as the inner city remains orderly, a little disorder in the outer city is actually a good thing!"

"The demon that killed Second Senior Brother was at least a Level 3 Minor Demon, right?" Li Changsheng said.

"At the very least, a Level 3 Minor Demon. It might even be a Level 4 Minor Demon!"

Du Hai also revealed a worried expression. Whether it was a Level 3 Minor Demon or a Level 4 Minor Demon, neither was something he could contend with. If one targeted him, he would die as well!

In the days that followed, demons were spotted many times in Baiye City's outer city, and quite a few Martial Artists were ambushed and killed. During those attacks, the demons' traces were also discovered several times.

It could be confirmed that these attacks had been carried out by the Cunning Wolf Tribe.

The Cunning Wolf Tribe was a type of demon skilled in the art of transformation. They could disguise themselves as humans, and as long as they did not act, they could only be recognized if one's cultivation surpassed theirs and one was standing very close.

This time, it was not just one Cunning Wolf that had entered Baiye City, but several.

Azure Steel Martial Hall.

Qin Xun was speaking with Xu He.

"Master, Second Junior Brother was killed by a Cunning Wolf. Many others in the city have also been killed by Cunning Wolves, and these people all shared one trait—they had entered the Demon Cave in Qingfeng Demon Stockade," Qin Xun said.

"The Demon Cave? It seems the Cunning Wolves are searching for something. Someone must have taken something from the Demon Cave," Xu He guessed.

"That should be the case." Qin Xun nodded. "Moreover, the Cunning Wolves can precisely locate those who entered the Demon Cave. They must have been tainted by some kind of aura after entering it."

"Be careful during this period. The Cunning Wolf Tribe is not weak, and they are exceptionally skilled at hiding. Even the great figures in the inner city would find the Cunning Wolf Tribe a headache," Xu He said.

"Yes, Master!" Qin Xun replied.

"How much longer until you can break through to Silver Tendon Perfection?" Xu He asked.

Qin Xun estimated it. "Master, probably another half a year!"

"Half a year, huh? Once you break through to Silver Tendon Perfection, directly attempt the Blood Changing Realm. The Flood Dragon Tendon Realm is not a realm we can covet!" Xu He said.

Qin Xun was somewhat unwilling. The Tendon Refining Realm was divided into Iron Tendon, Bronze Tendon, Silver Tendon, Flood Dragon Tendon, and Dragon Tendon.

If Tendon Refining Realm Martial Artists in the outer city could break through to Bronze Tendon Perfection, they could attempt the Blood Changing Realm. They could not even break through to the Silver Tendon Realm, mainly because they lacked sufficiently powerful martial arts.

Qin Xun had only managed to break through to the Silver Tendon Realm because of a special opportunity, yet he had never revealed this realm. Only his master, Xu He, knew of it.

He considered himself highly talented, so naturally he wanted to attempt the Flood Dragon Tendon Realm. Yet even if Xu He gave him his full support, he would not be able to help him attain it.

"Master, I still want to take a shot at it. The gap between the Silver Tendon Realm and the Flood Dragon Tendon Realm is far too great!" Qin Xun said unwillingly.

Xu He said helplessly, "Even if you enter the inner city, it will be difficult to obtain the opportunity to break through to the Flood Dragon Tendon Realm. There are countless geniuses in the inner city, but how many can truly attain the Flood Dragon Tendon Realm?"

Qin Xun understood this principle, but if he did not attain the Flood Dragon Tendon Realm, he would never become a true great figure of the inner city in his lifetime!

"Cunning Wolves!"

Li Changsheng had also learned from several senior brothers what kind of demons had recently ambushed and killed so many Martial Artists. They were demons skilled in the art of transformation and difficult to detect. Perhaps one day, even a friend beside him might be replaced by a Cunning Wolf, and it would not be strange at all.

After learning of the Cunning Wolves' existence, Li Changsheng spent most of his time at Azure Steel Martial Hall and the Demon Suppression Division, going nowhere else in order to avoid danger.

He was still very weak. Even if his entire body attained Iron Skin, or even Bronze Skin, he would be nothing more than an ant before those powerful Cunning Wolves.

Therefore, he had to keep a low profile.

Fortunately, the weakest Martial Artists targeted by the Cunning Wolves this time were all in the Bone Refining Realm, so he was still relatively safe.

As time passed, Li Changsheng cultivated several Skin Polishing Martial Arts. Areas of stone skin throughout his body completed their second polishing and tempering, one after another entering Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment.

Now, his hands, legs, head, chest, abdomen, and back had all attained Iron Skin Initial Accomplishment. Only his crotch and neck had yet to attain the Iron Skin Realm.

At this time, he had lived another year, and the third Dao Fruit formed!