Having thoroughly offended Xiao Tian, everyone in the Cheng Family wore worried expressions. When the roof leaks, it rains all night; one Jinsha Gang already exerted overwhelming pressure, and now there was also a petty villain like Xiao Tian. It truly seemed Heaven meant to cut off every path of survival.
Zhou Qiming, who had already returned home, knew nothing about any of this. He was immersed in cultivating the Earth Fiend Legs.
"I need to master this leg technique as soon as possible. My speed, movement, and ability to save my life will improve tremendously."
He still had some Brute Ox Skin Grinding Paste left, and he had purchased a large batch of medicinal materials from the Cheng Family. With ginseng and other supplies, Zhou Qiming's wealth had accumulated to a substantial level. For now, he no longer needed to run about seeking cultivation resources.
"Copper Skin doesn't seem to be the limit. I'll try grinding and accumulating more!"
Zhou Qiming clearly felt that as the Iron Cloth Skill advanced toward perfection, his skin grew tougher. It seemed ready to shed its copper color, returning to its original nature and transforming toward white.
This was the Jade Skin level, an ultimate achievement said to be attainable only by the great experts of sects and Noble Families!
Skin Grinding was the first major hurdle of the Body Tempering Realm, and it also represented a Martial Artist's foundation. Only by building up sufficiently thick skin could one bear the force of the muscles.
The skin was a water vat, while that force was the water within it. How could a tiny vat contain an ocean?
Zhou Qiming was not satisfied with Copper Skin. He intended to push through the first major hurdle to its absolute limit.
As for the second major hurdle, Muscle Cultivation, he had already cultivated force in advance. Once he entered the Muscle Cultivation hurdle, he would directly reach Muscle Cultivation completion. There was no need to rush his breakthrough.
"To take one thing to the absolute limit—that is the martial path!"
[Iron Cloth Skill 89% complete!]
After a real battle, he had only practiced his punches for a short while after returning, yet the Iron Cloth Skill's progress had surged by more than ten percentage points.
Watching the timely feedback on the panel, Zhou Qiming grew more excited and immersed the longer he practiced. The feeling of reaping rewards for every effort, without needing to worry about bottlenecks at all, was simply incredible!
Outside Jinshui Town lay Hongye Village, the headquarters of the Jinsha Gang. At this moment, it was brightly lit and heavily guarded, with the sounds of card games and drinking contests echoing out.
Inside the hall, a group of core members gathered around Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan.
Hall Master Li Qing of the Heavenly Firm Hall laughed. "Brother Jin, you're still being too cautious. What does a mere Cheng Family amount to? I'll take men to wipe them out right now. Let's see what that Iron Clothes Martial Arts School dares to say."
The various Incense Masters and elites below chimed in one after another, not taking the local forces in town seriously at all.
"With Hall Master Qiu personally leading the team, the Cheng Family is finished this time."
"I hope that old bastard Yuan Tieyi knows his place. With his old, worn-out body, how much strength can he have left? It isn't worth making a show of force for his disciple."
"The Cheng Family doesn't even have a Bone Forging expert. If we simply storm their gates, who would dare offend our Jinsha Gang?"
Everyone drank wine and ate meat, as though they had already seen the Cheng Family bowing their heads and begging for mercy. And swallowing up the Cheng Family's Medicine Shop was merely the beginning of their ambition.
With Gang Leader Sha Heihu in seclusion attempting to reach the Tendon Transformation level, the entire Jinshui Town would soon become the gang's possession!
If not for their fear of Yuan Tieyi, a Martial Master, the several halls would have already bloodied the entire town. There would have been no need to make secret moves. Everything they did was merely to test how much strength the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School truly possessed.
Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan sat in the seat of honor. He picked up his wine cup and laughed.
"Brothers, don't be impatient. The Gang Leader's affairs come first. Before Big Brother emerges from seclusion, let those ants leap around for a little longer."
Big Brother Sha Heihu had already accumulated strength in the Bone Forging Realm for many years. A few days ago, after pledging allegiance to the Hantian Army, he had received a bottle of Dragon Blood bestowed by King Chaotian. It was an excellent Precious Medicine for tempering the Great Tendons.
Once the tendons and membranes transformed into Dragon Tendons, he would be an extremely powerful existence even among those in the Tendon Transformation Realm. The tiny Jinshui Town would be utterly incapable of stopping the gang's rise.
"Vice Gang Leader is wise!" The people below had no objections to Jin Buhuan's steady strategy.
Suddenly, a low-ranking gang member rushed in, panicked. "Reporting! Hall Master Qiu—"
"Oh, has Brother Qiu returned? Quickly prepare a feast to welcome him." Jin Buhuan nodded with a smile.
By his estimation, the Earth Fiend Hall should have completed its mission by now. A hundred members of the Cheng Family Guard Team were not even enough for a Bone Forging expert to warm up with.
However, the Jinsha Gang's disciples were usually kept under such strict control that, having finally gone out to kill and burn, they would naturally vent themselves. Taking a little longer was normal.
Only by allowing his subordinates to relieve their pressure could he ensure long-term, stable operations. Jin Buhuan understood this clearly.
"No, no! The Cheng Family Herb Gathering Team has returned to town. Hall Master Qiu is missing!"
Cold sweat poured down the reporting disciple's face. He still could not believe what he had seen outside town: the Cheng Family had returned in triumph, their convoy laden with spoils. It was obvious that Qiu Yun had failed, and he was probably dead.
"What? How is that possible?" Li Qing shot to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.
As fellow Hall Masters, he had often sparred with and served as Qiu Yun's practice partner. If he encountered the speed of the Earth Fiend Legs, Li Qing would also find it troublesome.
But the strongest person in the Cheng Family was only a Muscle Cultivation Martial Artist. How could they possibly have survived Qiu Yun's hands? There had to be something suspicious about this.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Could Hall Master Qiu have defected?"
"With his strength, wouldn't dealing with the Cheng Family be as easy as turning over his hand?"
"Hall Master Qiu has always placed the Gang Leader's orders above all else. He would never fool around and neglect his duties. He must have encountered a powerful enemy and come to harm!"
The crowd began discussing it noisily. If even someone skilled in the Earth Fiend Legs could meet with disaster, how terrifying must the enemy's strength be? Could they have provoked a Martial Artist in the Tendon Transformation Realm?
Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan's expression turned as dark as water. One moment, they had been preparing to plunder the Cheng Family in town; the next, they had received this shocking piece of bad news.
After Sha Heihu entered deathly seclusion, he had entrusted everything to Jin Buhuan to handle. If something had happened to Qiu Yun and he could not even swallow up a single Cheng Family, would that not make him appear utterly incompetent?
"We're in trouble."
Jin Buhuan's eyes flickered. With his strength and position, he had not encountered a thorny problem in a long time. Usually, he only needed to send his underlings out, and they could erase any troublesome matter they disliked.
Qiu Yun's disappearance was still a minor issue. The real trouble was Chao Yun, the adopted son of King Chaotian, who had gone with him.
If Chao Yun died inexplicably here at the hands of the Jinsha Gang, then even the Gang Leader could not bear the Hantian Army's questioning and fury!
"Investigate! Immediately enter the mountains and search. We must find him alive or see his corpse. I want to see who is behind this and dares move against our gang!"
Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan was both furious and alarmed. He immediately issued the order. Experts from every hall entered the mountains to search and aid their brothers of the Earth Fiend Hall.
"It must have been the Cheng Family's doing. I'll go wipe them out right now!" Li Qing felt the chill of lips and teeth depending on each other and wanted to stand up for Qiu Yun.
"No. Don't complicate matters for now. The Challenge Letter we sent to the Cheng Family is rescinded. No one is to trouble the Cheng Family's convoy without my orders."
Jin Buhuan hurriedly spoke up to stop him. Until the truth came to light, the Jinsha Gang could not afford to suffer any more losses.
Although the Earth Fiend Hall's trouble was certainly related to the Cheng Family's team, and the other side was also a witness, what if this led to some mysterious expert they could not afford to offend? Then they would be in serious trouble.
Jin Buhuan was shrewd and calculating. He always considered the worst possible direction things could take. He had already prepared for the worst: an expert in the Tendon Transformation Realm was backing the Cheng Family Herb Gathering Team.
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