Curtain Call

When this voice reached Huang Da's ears, his face, filled with rage, faltered. He slowly looked up and saw Zeng Fan staring at him with a cold expression. Although the aura emanating from Zeng Fan was slightly weak, his presence was much stronger than before.

"Body Tempering Bone Perfection!" Huang Da hadn't expected Zeng Fan to actually succeed in breaking through. To do so mid-battle seemed like a fantasy to him.

"So what if you broke through! You're still going to die!" Huang Da was only momentarily shocked by Zeng Fan's breakthrough. Killing intent reappeared in his eyes, and before he could finish speaking, his figure vanished from his original spot.

Zeng Fan felt the abundant power coursing through his body. Although his previous injuries still lingered, the breakthrough in his cultivation had consumed a large amount of Spiritual Energy. The medicinal properties of the Body Tempering Fruit were still present, and Spiritual Energy continued to emerge, serving as nourishment for Zeng Fan's cultivation and helping him solidify his newfound realm.

Zeng Fan's gaze was fixed on the approaching Huang Da. The Spiritual Energy within him roared under his command. He stomped his foot fiercely and charged directly at Huang Da. He was now worlds apart from his previous self.

Seeing this, Huang Da stopped speaking. His aura intensified further as he unleashed his full power. The two figures collided once more, but this time, it was different from before.

The moment they made contact, Huang Da's expression changed. His full-power strike had been blocked by Zeng Fan. Previously, Zeng Fan would have needed to rely on his movement techniques and skill to deflect the force. Now, he could block it with the sheer power gained from his breakthrough.

Zeng Fan's inner turmoil vanished. If he hadn't been locked in combat with Huang Da, he would have wanted to let out a long cry of exhilaration. He could now directly block every one of Huang Da's attacks. Although his body was still injured, it didn't affect his combat prowess. Moreover, each of Huang Da's attacks felt like a heavy hammer, solidifying the somewhat unstable Spiritual Energy within him after his breakthrough.

Huang Da's heart grew heavier. As the battle progressed, it felt as though Zeng Fan's breakthrough was continuing, and his strength was gradually surpassing Huang Da's.

Zeng Fan's confidence, however, grew stronger. He could clearly sense his body continuously absorbing the Spiritual Energy emanating from the Body Tempering Fruit. His bones were becoming harder, and even the Blood flowing within him was infused with traces of Spiritual Energy. The final stage of the Body Tempering Realm was Spiritual Energy entering the Blood, completely transforming the physical body into a vessel suitable for the circulation of Spiritual Energy.

Huang Da was still struggling, but Zeng Fan was running out of time. After all, the conditions of the other three were unknown, and he needed to check on them as soon as possible.

"I can't drag this out any longer!" Zeng Fan knew it was time to end it. The Spiritual Energy within his body erupted, surging through his meridians and converging in his hands. His arm was even marked with bloody streaks from the ferocious Spiritual Energy.

"Fish Dragon Dance!"

Zeng Fan smashed down with a punch.

Huang Da sensed the sudden surge in Zeng Fan's aura and knew the final moment had arrived. With reddened eyes, Huang Da pushed his palms upward together.

There was no suspense. Zeng Fan's accumulated power was overwhelming. Huang Da let out a scream of agony, utterly unable to resist. The dark gray light emanating from him was shattered, and his arms were bent at grotesque angles, already broken.

After breaking Huang Da's arms, Zeng Fan struck again. Before Huang Da could even attempt to escape, Zeng Fan's palm landed on his head. The sound of cracking bone echoed around them. Huang Da's contorted face slowly froze. With a thud, he collapsed to his knees, falling face-first onto the ground. The three Huang brothers had all been killed by Zeng Fan!

The turbulent Spiritual Energy within him slowly subsided. Zeng Fan panted heavily, the stinging pain from various parts of his body reminding him of the severity of his injuries. He took an internal look around, feeling a headache. Although he had successfully broken through to Body Tempering Bone Perfection, the forced breakthrough during the battle had caused damage and even ruptures in multiple meridians, requiring slow repair.

"I don't know if this was a loss or a gain," Zeng Fan forced himself to muster some energy. He couldn't rest yet; he still needed to check on the other three.

Zeng Fan turned his head and saw Chen Yan staring at him blankly. Although she had been severely wounded by an arrow to the abdomen, she had witnessed Zeng Fan killing the three men the entire time. Her emotions had shifted from despair to surprise, and she was overwhelmed, struggling to process it all. This continued until Zeng Fan slowly walked up to her.

"Senior Sister Chen, are you alright?"

"Ah! I'm okay, are you? Hiss!" Chen Yan snapped back to reality. As she tried to stand up, she forgot about her abdominal wound and let out a cry of pain.

Zeng Fan quickly helped Chen Yan sit up. Under her guidance, he pulled out the arrow and bandaged her wound as best he could. Chen Yan took out a healing pill, swallowed it, and quickly spoke to Zeng Fan.

"Please go check on Wang Ying. I... I don't dare to go." Chen Yan looked towards Wang Ying, tears welling up in her eyes. Wang Ying hadn't moved since he fell, and she feared the worst. Chen Yan was afraid of seeing Wang Ying's corpse if she went over. Zeng Fan nodded silently.

Approaching Wang Ying, Zeng Fan saw that his face was pale, and his left arm had been severed at the shoulder. No blood was flowing. Zeng Fan reached out and gently felt for his breath, detecting a faint airflow.

"Senior Sister Chen! Wang Ying is alive! Come here quickly!" Zeng Fan called out to Chen Yan. Chen Yan jolted, tears streaming down her face again. Enduring the pain, she came to Wang Ying's side. Although Wang Ying was still breathing, if he didn't receive immediate treatment, his life would be in grave danger.

Chen Yan took out a healing pill but found Wang Ying's teeth clenched shut. Disregarding Zeng Fan's presence, Chen Yan put the pill in her own mouth and leaned over to feed it to Wang Ying. Zeng Fan also used his Spiritual Energy to help dissolve the medicinal properties. As the pill's effects took hold, Wang Ying's pale complexion regained some color, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

Leaving Chen Yan to look after Wang Ying, Zeng Fan went to Yao Ling'er's side. The young girl's face was pale, her delicate brows furrowed as if enduring pain. Zeng Fan examined her briefly and found no external injuries. He gently picked her up. Even through her clothes, Zeng Fan could feel the curves of her figure. Her clothes were also somewhat torn from the battle, revealing some of her fair skin. Through her clothes, Zeng Fan could feel the warmth of her body, but at that moment, he only wanted to meditate and heal, having no impure thoughts.

Chen Yan examined her carefully and found that Yao Ling'er was only suffering from blocked Blood Essence due to external injuries. After taking the pill and resting, she would be fine. Just as Zeng Fan was considering learning from Chen Yan, he noticed that Chen Yan had already gently opened Yao Ling'er's clenched teeth and administered the pill. He had no choice but to give up.

With all three of them at least alive, Zeng Fan felt a little relieved. He didn't have time to deal with the Scorpion Tiger and the bodies of the three men yet. He sat down cross-legged, calmed his mind, and began to regulate his Spiritual Energy and heal his injuries.

After an unknown amount of time, Zeng Fan opened his eyes. A surge rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Zeng Fan immediately felt a sense of relief. Although his internal injuries had not fully recovered, they no longer posed a significant threat.

"You're awake?" A voice filled with a hint of joy sounded in Zeng Fan's ear. Zeng Fan turned to see Yao Ling'er smiling at him. She had changed her torn clothes, and her face was still somewhat pale, giving her an almost sickly beauty.

Zeng Fan nodded. "You're awake? How are your injuries? I ate two Body Tempering Fruits to deal with those guys. I'll give you the remaining ones later."

"It's okay, it's okay. It's all thanks to you this time. Without you, where would these fruits be now? Senior Sister Chen and I don't know what would have happened to us." Yao Ling'er waved her hand at Zeng Fan. After a moment of hesitation, she sat down beside him, hugged her knees, and looked up at the sky.

Zeng Fan turned his head and noticed that the sky had gradually darkened, with the moon and stars beginning to twinkle faintly. He hadn't realized he had been healing for so long.

Zeng Fan got up and stretched his body. "Stop sitting around, come with me."

Yao Ling'er looked at Zeng Fan with confusion but obediently brushed the dust off her clothes and followed him. Then, Yao Ling'er's somewhat exasperated voice echoed out.

"You called me over to watch you loot bodies? What are you doing! Why are you stripping their clothes! You pervert!"

"Don't you collect spoils of war after winning? These guys looked poor, they couldn't possibly have Storage Rings. Their belongings must be on them. These bodies also need to be dealt with. I'm done looking! Hurry up and lend a hand," Zeng Fan said speechlessly to Yao Ling'er. This woman truly didn't understand the cost of living. It was precisely because he lacked Spirit Stones that all these subsequent events occurred. Since these guys intended to kill him, he didn't need to be polite.

As Zeng Fan had expected, these guys were indeed poor. In total, the three of them yielded only a few dozen Spirit Stones. Zeng Fan didn't mind the small amount and happily pocketed them. Huang Da's body was the most surprising for Zeng Fan, as he found a Body Tempering cultivation technique.

"Ironwood Body."

Zeng Fan looked at the cultivation technique with some delight. He figured the black light on the Huang brothers' bodies originated from this. Zeng Fan was also envious. If his physical defense were enhanced, combined with the Fish Dance movement technique, the power he could accumulate would be greater, and the burst of the Fish Dragon Dance would be stronger.

"Good stuff!" Zeng Fan happily stuffed the cultivation technique into his clothes, unfazed by the slight bloodstains on it. Yao Ling'er looked on with some disgust.

Zeng Fan directly pocketed the Spirit Stones and the cultivation technique. Yao Ling'er had no objections, as without Zeng Fan, it would have been the Huang brothers rummaging through their corpses.

After the search was complete, Zeng Fan felt refreshed. He no longer asked Yao Ling'er for help. He single-handedly threw the bodies of the Scorpion Tiger and the three men into the cave where the Scorpion Tiger had been hiding. Zeng Fan even specifically entered to check, but found nothing special, only traces of wild animal habitation and a pile of foul-smelling excrement. Zeng Fan withdrew in disappointment, having hoped for some special fortuitous encounter, but it was only a dream.

After dealing with the bodies, to Zeng Fan's surprise, Wang Ying had also woken up. He offered a torrent of grateful words. Zeng Fan told him to focus on healing. If he could circulate Spiritual Energy on his own, Wang Ying's recovery would accelerate. As for the lost arm, it wasn't a major problem for a Sect. In the cultivation world, bringing the dead back to life and regenerating flesh and bone wasn't just talk; as long as a price was paid, Wang Ying's arm could be restored.

Now, all they had to do was wait for Wang Ying to regain his mobility before they could return to the Sect. Zeng Fan felt a sense of anticipation. After this battle, his gains were the greatest. Not only had he obtained a Body Tempering cultivation technique, but his cultivation had also successfully broken through. There was also something that Yao Ling'er and the other two didn't know: the Body Tempering Fruit had not only helped Zeng Fan successfully break through to Body Tempering Bone Perfection, but in Zeng Fan's perception, his Blood now contained faint traces of Spiritual Energy. This meant that as long as Zeng Fan diligently cultivated, he would soon reach the final realm of the Body Tempering Realm.

"Body Tempering Blood!"