Playing the Thief

Zeng Fan stared in shock at the entire warehouse filled with Ironwood, then looked down at the few pieces in his hand. The quality of the Ironwood he held wasn't even as good as what was in front of him. Yao Ling'er's teasing voice drifted over from the side.

"Aiya, you should have said earlier that you needed Ironwood. We use Ironwood for burning fires when we refine pills. If you'd just told me, I would have brought you here(?ω?). Why did you have to go to the Disciple Hall to exchange for it?"

Zeng Fan felt a tightness in his chest. Looking at the few pieces of Ironwood in his hand, he felt completely uncomfortable. 'I actually spent all my Spirit Stones to buy firewood from their Alchemy Hall?! No wonder Yao Ling'er is laughing like that.'

Taking a few deep breaths, Zeng Fan tried to calm his emotions. At least he didn't have to worry about not having enough Ironwood anymore. With sufficient resources, his cultivation speed would surely increase rapidly! Zeng Fan's dejection was slowly replaced by excitement.

Seeing Zeng Fan's eyes light up, Yao Ling'er quickly reminded him, "You just need to absorb the energy within this Ironwood. Take a little from each piece so no one notices. I don't know how much you need, but it'll be troublesome if you get caught later."

"Naturally. Even thieves have their code. You're helping me by opening this back door, so leave the rest to me. I'll handle it!" Zeng Fan was already impatient. He quickly nodded at Yao Ling'er.

"Then hurry up and start. I'll keep watch for you and let you know if there's any movement," Yao Ling'er poked her head out, looked around, and made a "start" gesture to Zeng Fan.

Zeng Fan nodded and sat down around the Ironwood. He silently recited the incantation for the Ironwood Body technique. Slowly, his entire being became calm. A faint suction force began to emanate from Zeng Fan, seemingly effective only on the Ironwood.

As the suction force intensified, the Ironwood in the warehouse began to emit streams of black energy. Once this energy floated into the air, it uncontrollably drifted towards Zeng Fan. The moment it touched his skin, Zeng Fan's brow furrowed tightly.

At the points where his skin contacted the black energy, as the Ironwood Body incantation circulated, his skin seemed to undergo an unknown transformation. It gradually became harder, slowly taking on a dark gray color consistent with Ironwood. However, this was followed by an intense itch, like the sensation of skin healing, but countless times stronger. The itching grew more severe, and sweat began to bead on Zeng Fan's forehead. He knew he absolutely could not stop now, or the change in his skin would halt, and his cultivation of the Ironwood Body would be declared a failure. This was something he could not allow. He was unwilling to give up even the slightest opportunity to increase his strength.

Inside the warehouse, Zeng Fan's body trembled slightly, his face flushed red, and sweat poured from him, dripping onto the ground and stirring up dust. Zeng Fan felt as if countless tiny insects were crawling all over his body. Only by stopping and scratching fiercely could he find relief.

But he knew he couldn't stop. He had to wait until the Ironwood Body absorbed a certain amount before he could temporarily cease. Enduring the itching on his body, he began to cultivate diligently, focusing his attention on the circulation of Spiritual Energy within him. Although the stimulation to his skin frequently interrupted his Spiritual Energy circulation, as time went on, Zeng Fan's mind began to focus on his cultivation. The changes to his skin were still happening, and the itching persisted, but their impact on him grew smaller and smaller. He seemed to have become completely immersed in his cultivation.

Zeng Fan's focus and desire for cultivation were extremely intense. This was something every strong individual had to possess, or rather, it was a prerequisite for embarking on the path of strength. The earlier one possessed it, the further they could travel on the path of cultivation.

At some unknown moment, the itching began to slowly subside. Zeng Fan's entire skin now had a faint black sheen. Although very subtle, a sense of toughness emanated from it.

Zeng Fan opened his eyes. 'Is it over?' He could feel that this faint black glow on his body had significantly strengthened his defense compared to before. As long as he continued to absorb the essence from the Ironwood, this defense would only grow stronger.

With a thought, the glow slowly disappeared, and his skin returned to its normal color. 'That's about enough. I need to leave quickly.'

Zeng Fan stood up and walked towards the warehouse entrance. Yao Ling'er was already at the door, flipping through a pill manual. Seeing Zeng Fan approach, she quickly closed the book, glanced around, and seeing no one nearby, she beckured Zeng Fan to leave the warehouse.

Zeng Fan walked up to Yao Ling'er. The young girl frowned slightly, "Why do you smell so strongly of sweat? What were you just doing?"

"Do I?" Zeng Fan sniffed his own body and indeed, there was a smell. He couldn't help but sigh at the difficulty of cultivating a killer move.

Yao Ling'er didn't press further. She knew it was likely due to cultivation and silently changed the subject.

"Then come find me again when you need to cultivate next time, I'll help you keep watch."

"Okay, thank you. Otherwise, this Ironwood Body would have cost me half my life." Zeng Fan felt fortunate to have met Yao Ling'er. Without her, cultivating the Ironwood Body would have been impossible.

Hearing Zeng Fan's words, the young girl was naturally pleased. The corners of her mouth curved upwards, revealing her white teeth. She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, expressing her inner joy.

As they walked out of the Alchemy Hall, Zeng Fan looked back. The young girl stood in place, waved at him, and then her graceful figure disappeared back inside.

"Let's go to the waterfall." The Ironwood Body had just reached minor accomplishment, and Zeng Fan was eager to see how powerful the burst of energy would be when combined with the Fish Dragon Dance. He needed a place to test it out.

Arriving near the waterfall, the familiar roar greeted him. The white water still thundered down from the sky. The waterfall hadn't changed much during his absence. However, Zeng Fan spotted a familiar figure there: Yuan Jin.

Yuan Jin was currently leaping and dodging on the stone platform by the waterfall. As his body moved, Yuan Jin was also performing a set of fist techniques, the Five Kill Fist, his family's martial art. Every time Yuan Jin swung his fist, the force generated caused the water flow to momentarily pause before exploding outwards – the hidden force within the fist technique.

Zeng Fan hadn't expected Yuan Jin to integrate his own cultivation method with his family's martial art. When he had been cultivating earlier, he had lamented that it wasn't suitable for Yuan Jin. Now, after a few days, Yuan Jin had figured it out. It seemed the kid had been secretly pondering it himself.

After finishing a set of fist techniques, Yuan Jin plunged into the pool below, washing away the sweat and using the cold water to invigorate his spirit.

When he climbed ashore, Yuan Jin froze. He saw Zeng Fan waiting there. A tired smile spread across his face, revealing a row of white teeth.

"When did you get back?"

"Yesterday. You're already here? When did you secretly learn my skills and cultivate under the waterfall?"

"What are you talking about? Can the actions of cultivators be called stealing? It's called drawing inspiration, haha!"

Yuan Jin walked over and slung an arm around Zeng Fan's shoulders, unconcerned that water droplets were falling onto Zeng Fan's clothes. He gave Zeng Fan a firm punch to the chest. Just as he was about to speak, a look of shock mixed with confusion appeared on his face.

"You broke through again?! What kind of spirit pill or medicine did you take?"

Yuan Jin asked Zeng Fan in astonishment. How long had it been since Zeng Fan's last breakthrough? Now they were at the same cultivation level.

"Yeah," Zeng Fan nodded with a slight headache. He really had taken a spirit pill and medicine. He then began to recount his recent experience.

Yuan Jin listened, exclaiming in surprise until Zeng Fan finished. He let out a soft breath, his face showing a hint of solemnity. "Kid, you were really lucky this time. If even one part of the process had gone wrong, you wouldn't have come back!"

Zeng Fan nodded, agreeing with Yuan Jin's assessment. However, it was all in the past, and there was no need to be overly fearful. He raised a hand and patted Yuan Jin's shoulder, smiling.

"That's why I came straight to the waterfall as soon as I had time. My own strength is the most important thing."

"That makes a lot of sense," Yuan Jin mused, his chin resting on his hand. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "How about we spar?"

Zeng Fan was taken aback. Seeing the glint in Yuan Jin's eyes, he knew the guy was itching for a fight. Since his Ironwood Body had reached minor accomplishment, Zeng Fan also wanted to test its power. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Then you'd better be careful. I just mastered a new killer move today, and I'm going to test its power on you!"

Yuan Jin's eyes were already gleaming. "Then let's go!" He took a few steps back, his expression turning serious, and charged at Zeng Fan with a clenched fist. Zeng Fan, with a smile, let the iron-gray light emanate from his body and met Yuan Jin head-on without hesitation. The two began a spar outside the waterfall.

Meanwhile, in the Disciple Hall, the elder on duty that day was meditating. A ripple of energy flashed, and the elder opened his eyes. With a thought, a communication token appeared in his hand. The elder closed his eyes, seemingly receiving an order. A moment later, the elder put away the token, summoned a disciple, and said calmly.

"Transmit my order: The Datong Dynasty, established by our sect's disciples, is at war with nearby Demonic Beasts. Due to the new establishment of the dynasty and a shortage of personnel, all disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage are ordered to participate in the battle. Refusal is not permitted, and violators will be severely punished."