Cultivation Breakthrough

Zhang Tieniu and Tian Hu were very strong. Fang Chen did not dare let his guard down. Gritting his teeth, he immediately raised his sword to block their machetes.

Clang, clang!

The machetes struck the Heavenly Remnant Sword, and the immense force sent it rebounding straight into Fang Chen's chest.

Fang Chen spat out another mouthful of blood, the bright-red liquid splashing onto the Heavenly Remnant Sword.

Buzz, buzz...

The Heavenly Remnant Sword began to tremble violently. An unprecedented scorching energy surged from its hilt into his body. His muscles swelled slightly, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. He felt as though his body were about to explode.

At that moment, Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu swung their blades at him again.

"Die!"

Gritting his teeth, Fang Chen let out an enraged roar and fiercely swung the Heavenly Remnant Sword.

Clang, clang!

Sparks flew everywhere as the machetes in Tian Hu's and Zhang Tieniu's hands were instantly severed by the Heavenly Remnant Sword.

Fang Chen felt the current pouring from the Heavenly Remnant Sword grow even stronger.

Tian Hu's and Zhang Tieniu's expressions changed drastically, and they immediately retreated.

By now, Fang Chen's eyes were red with slaughter. He kicked off the ground and rushed forward, swinging his sword at Tian Hu.

At that moment, Fang Chen was like a crazed beast. Tian Hu turned pale in shock and tried to block with the broken machete in his hand.

Clang!

The Heavenly Remnant Sword struck the broken machete, cleaving it in two before slashing through Tian Hu's wrist and severing his hand.

Blood sprayed everywhere as Tian Hu's hand fell to the ground together with the broken blade.

"Ah... my hand!"

Tian Hu's face went deathly pale. He let out a miserable scream and collapsed to the ground.

"Die!"

Fang Chen swung his sword again.

A flash of sword light streaked past. Tian Hu's throat was cut open, blood gushing forth like a spring. His eyes bulged wide as his body fell to the ground, twitching without end.

Buzz buzz...

The Heavenly Remnant Sword trembled violently, as though it had been pumped full of chicken blood. A vast surge of energy flowed from the hilt into Fang Chen's body, greatly rousing his spirits.

Zhang Tieniu's expression changed drastically. He immediately turned to flee, because Fang Chen was simply too terrifying right now.

"Trying to run?"

Fang Chen's gaze sharpened. He forcefully kicked off the ground, his body shooting toward Zhang Tieniu like an arrow. A violent gale rose in his wake.

Whoosh!

The surrounding bamboo leaves were swept up by the gale. Fang Chen rushed behind Zhang Tieniu and slashed him across the back.

Slash!

The Heavenly Remnant Sword carved a horrifying wound across Zhang Tieniu's back, and bright-red blood burst forth.

"Ah..."

Zhang Tieniu fell to the ground, letting out a heart-rending scream.

He looked at Fang Chen and said, "Stop! Don't kill me! My big brother is an Outer Sect Disciple. If you dare kill me, he definitely won't let you off!"

"An Outer Sect Disciple?"

Fang Chen froze for a moment. He was only a handyman now. If an Outer Sect Disciple wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as turning over a hand.

But if he did not kill Zhang Tieniu, the secret of the Heavenly Remnant Sword might be exposed.

Besides, even if he let Zhang Tieniu go now, Zhang Tieniu still would not let him off.

Either way, he would die. Better kill him first and worry about the rest later!

Fang Chen's gaze instantly turned razor-sharp. The Heavenly Remnant Sword swung fiercely, slicing across Zhang Tieniu's neck.

Slash!

Bright-red blood spurted out. Zhang Tieniu's eyes widened as he clutched his neck and struggled on the ground.

Just then, the Heavenly Remnant Sword trembled violently, and an unprecedentedly tyrannical energy surged into Fang Chen's body.

Boom!

Fang Chen's body jolted violently. He felt as though something inside him had been shattered, and a powerful aura spread outward.

The spiritual energy around him converged madly toward Fang Chen, burrowing into his body through his pores.

Fang Chen felt as though his pores were being pricked by needles. The pain was unbearable.

"Ah..."

Fang Chen could not help crying out in agony. He put away the Heavenly Remnant Sword and rolled about on the ground.

"What's going on?"

Almost everyone cutting bamboo on Thousand Bamboo Ridge sensed this powerful aura.

The Handymen nearby immediately ran over after feeling the disturbance.

When they arrived, they were all stunned by the sight before them.

Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu lay in pools of blood, while Fang Chen rolled around on the ground, letting out agonized screams as the spiritual energy around him continuously converged toward him.

"What exactly happened?"

The Handymen's eyes widened as they stared at the scene before them in disbelief.

Some Handymen walked over to Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu. After checking them, they discovered that both men were dead.

Before long, Wu Qingfeng also rushed over. Seeing people lying in pools of blood, he looked utterly shocked.

When a Handyman from Thousand Bamboo Ridge saw Wu Qingfeng arrive, he immediately went up to him and said, "Manager Wu, you're finally here! Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu are both dead!"

"What? Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu are both dead?"

Wu Qingfeng froze for a moment, then walked over to the two people lying in pools of blood and found that they really were Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu.

At that moment, Cao Bin arrived with his men as well.

Cao Bin and the others were immediately drawn to Fang Chen, who lay on the ground screaming in agony.

"Everyone, look! It's Brother Hu and Zhang Tieniu!"

A Handyman from Dragon Tiger Mountain pointed at Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu's corpses and cried out in alarm.

Everyone followed the Handyman's pointing hand and immediately saw Zhang Tieniu and Tian Hu.

Cao Bin rushed over at once and discovered that Tian Hu and Cao Bin were already dead.

"Who did this?"

Cao Bin rose to his feet and roared angrily at Wu Qingfeng.

Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu had both been the most outstanding Handymen of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Zhang Tieniu in particular possessed a three-attribute Mixed Spiritual Root and had a very good chance of breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm in the future.

If Zhang Tieniu broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, Cao Bin would receive an enormous reward.

Yet in only a few hours, not only had Zhang Tieniu died, but Tian Hu had died as well.

Wu Qingfeng looked at Cao Bin and said, "I only just arrived too. I have no idea what happened!"

Just then, Fang Chen's body suddenly shuddered. It was as though something inside him had shattered, and a powerful aura erupted from within his body.

"Whoosh!"

The surrounding spiritual energy crazily converged toward him, then formed a faint layer of white light over the surface of his body.

"Th-this is Body Protection Spiritual Light!"

At the sight of this, everyone cried out in shock.

The layer of white light covering Fang Chen's body was called Body Protection Spiritual Light, a radiance unique to cultivators who had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm.

"Fang Chen—Fang Chen broke through!"

"He broke through to the Qi Refining Realm!"

The Handymen of Thousand Bamboo Ridge could not help cheering.

"How is that possible?"

"That piece of trash doesn't even have a Spiritual Root. How could he possibly break through?"

The Handymen of Dragon Tiger Mountain stared with their eyes wide as saucers, their faces full of disbelief.

Fang Chen was still rolling about on the ground in pain, screaming again and again.

Wu Qingfeng came back to his senses and immediately walked over to Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, quickly circulate your cultivation art!"

Upon hearing Wu Qingfeng's words, Fang Chen endured the pain coursing through his body and sat down cross-legged, preparing to circulate the Glazed Qi Refining Art.

The Glazed Qi Refining Art was the qi refinement cultivation method the original owner had received when he first arrived at the Glazed Sword Sect.

Fang Chen immediately recited the incantation in his heart and began circulating his cultivation art.

Even more spiritual energy surged into his body. Once inside, it flowed through his meridians toward his Dantian.

The next moment, Fang Chen felt his consciousness enter a dim, gray space.