Seeing that his master had resolved to die, everyone felt as though the sky had collapsed. If even a Bone Forging Perfection Martial Artist as powerful as Yuan Tieyi was in such a state, who could stop the Jinsha Gang's butcher knives now?
Besides, even if they escaped through the tunnels they had dug beforehand, they would likely still die in the subsequent pursuit by the various branches.
The disciples exchanged glances, then left in despair. They returned home to pack their valuables, intending to scatter and flee under cover of darkness.
Cheng Yu was somewhat reluctant to leave. She stepped forward and urged him, "Master, let's leave together. At least we'll have someone to rely on. As long as the green hills remain, there'll be no shortage of firewood. Once we reach the County Town, we'll definitely have a chance to take revenge."
Yuan Tieyi was resolute. "Experts from the other side have long had their eyes on a Martial Master like me. If I leave with you, I'll only drag down the Cheng Family. Good disciple, in the end, only you stayed with your master. What a pity."
Yuan Tieyi shook his head. Cheng Yu had spent too much time socializing and making friends, and had begun focusing on martial arts too late. Besides, a Bone Forging Martial Artist like him posed too great a threat. He had long since been placed on the Jinsha Gang's kill list. If the Cheng Family fled separately, perhaps there would still be a slim chance.
Overnight, the situation had rotted beyond repair. Everyone felt as though they were aboard a sea vessel destined to sink sooner or later.
Cheng Yu had no choice. Just as she was about to flee in panic, she saw a young man walk into the courtyard beneath the moonlight.
"It's you? What, have you come to laugh at this old man?"
Yuan Tieyi raised his head, his expression somewhat complicated. Of course he remembered this Restaurant Servant youth. His talent and physical qualities were decent, but his Root Bone potential was far too poor. Otherwise, he might have considered taking him as his last disciple back then.
The visitor was Zhou Qiming. He had just come from the Blacksmith Shop, where he had bought more than ten pounds of Refined Iron to consume with the special effect of Iron Gall and break through to Bone Forging.
With his terrifying strength of several thousand jin, combined with this Refined Iron, his Bone Forging speed was more than seven or eight times that of ordinary people. Unfortunately, the Blacksmith Shop had been forced by the Jinsha Gang to hurry the production of standard military weapons, so he could no longer buy higher-quality Refined Iron suitable for forging.
If he had ten-forged or even Hundred-forged Fine Iron, a single pound would be more effective than a bottle of high-grade Bone forging pills.
"I have to hurry to the County Town. Only there will I find better resources." Zhou Qiming sighed. Shallow waters could not raise a Flood Dragon; the sky over Jinshui Town was too low.
He looked at Yuan Tieyi and got straight to the point, tentatively bringing up the issue of King's Blood. This trouble had to be resolved, or he would never sleep soundly. He also hoped to find an answer here.
After all, Yuan Tieyi had lived in the County Town and seen the world. Perhaps he could identify the problem.
"What? You've been cursed by a Noble Family Bloodline?"
Yuan Tieyi was greatly shocked. He examined the blood-colored curse mark on the other party's chest.
Noble Families were practically demonic existences. Their various Bloodline Talent techniques were bizarre beyond measure, so no one dared openly kill Noble Family disciples traveling outside for experience, lest they invite retaliation.
Yuan Tieyi could also tell that the handiwork left behind by King Chaotian was clearly similar to that of a somewhat weaker Noble Family. Perhaps Chao Ritian was an illegitimate son abandoned outside by some Noble Family.
"Troublesome. Only a Qi Profound Martial Artist above Organ Refining can act, or King Chaotian himself can resolve it..."
Yuan Tieyi furrowed his brows deeply, feeling sorry for the youth. Clearly, neither method was possible.
All that remained was to leave it to luck—to gamble that he would not encounter the claws of the Sky Shaker Bandits. Once King Chaotian's people approached, the Bloodline curse would be like a bonfire in the night sky. Death would be near.
"Thank you for explaining. Is there really no other way?"
Zhou Qiming showed no fear and continued pressing him. No matter how powerful the Hantian Army was, they could probably only pinpoint a general area. When the time came, he could hide inside an organization with many people, or simply conceal himself near the County Town's government office. In short, the situation was far from as hopeless as Yuan Tieyi made it sound.
"There is. You've already cultivated Copper Skin, haven't you? If you cultivate Hua Jin during the Muscle Cultivation stage, then once your force becomes subtle and refined, you can also refine away foreign substances from the bloodline."
Yuan Tieyi's eyes gleamed as he studied Zhou Qiming's skin. However, he did not continue undermining the other party's will to survive.
Force cultivation was broadly divided into External Force, Hidden Force, and Hua Jin. To cultivate Hua Jin at this age represented Prodigy-level talent—something even more bizarre than Organ Refining and the Qi Profound Realm. One had to understand that some Viscera Refining Martial Artists had not mastered Hua Jin either. It was entirely the accumulation of time and comprehension, with no shortcuts.
"Then it'll be easy to deal with." Zhou Qiming's eyes lit up. He had finally found a path forward. Being constantly remembered by King Chaotian had irritated him as well.
With Woodcutting Saber Technique having undergone Limit Breaking twice and Iron Cloth Skill having undergone Limit Breaking twice, Zhou Qiming's force had long since accumulated to an unimaginable degree. He was probably only one layer of window paper away from the Hua Jin level.
"I have to hurry and consume Precious Medicines and Treasure Pills to restore and replenish my Root Bone Value. If Iron Cloth Skill undergoes Limit Breaking one more time, I'll definitely achieve Hua Jin." Zhou Qiming grew anxious, looking forward to Cheng Yan returning from the County Town with the high-grade Precious Medicines he needed.
"What level are you at now?"
Seeing that Zhou Qiming showed no signs of dejection, Yuan Tieyi was even more surprised. Could the other party truly break through to Hua Jin? He felt increasingly unable to see through Zhou Qiming.
Yuan Tieyi's entire body surged with power. He suddenly struck, force bursting from his palm as it descended toward the other party's face.
Of course, if he sensed that something was wrong, he would withdraw his force in time and would not truly deal a lethal blow.
However, the expected scene and sensation did not appear. To his astonishment, when the force of this palm enveloped the target, it sank into the sea like a mud ox, as though it had struck an iron wall and been cut off by a natural chasm!
Yuan Tieyi sucked in a cold breath. He felt both madness and disbelief. He had already estimated the defensive power of the other party's skin as highly as possible, yet he had still underestimated Zhou Qiming!
"This... this is Hidden Force. You've already cultivated Hidden Force? How is that possible? And your Root Bone!"
Yuan Tieyi was deeply shaken. His eyes widened like copper bells, and his shock reached an unprecedented level, completely replacing the sorrow and grief he had felt earlier.
At this moment, under the sneak attack of this Bone Forging Martial Artist, Yuan Tieyi believed he had already seen through Zhou Qiming's true abilities!
Muscle Cultivation Perfection, Copper Skin, Hidden Force.
He had managed to dissolve and withstand thirty percent of Yuan Tieyi's Iron Cloth Force. This meant that his control over force had reached the level of Hidden Force.
For someone Zhou Qiming's age, this was simply too bizarre. And if he remembered correctly, the boy had only obtained the Iron Cloth Skill manual two or three months ago!
Without anyone's guidance or the support of resources, relying entirely on blind exploration, he had actually managed to become a Muscle Cultivation Perfection Martial Artist with Hidden Force. How could that possibly resemble inferior Root Bone?
Yuan Tieyi was utterly shocked and bewildered. In the end, regret, shock, and various other emotions intertwined and enveloped him. If he had firmly accepted this boy as his disciple back then, perhaps the outcome would have been different!
What shocked and astonished Yuan Tieyi most was that in a mere three months, this fellow's Root Bone had forcibly risen to the mid-grade level!
The transformation brought by fourteen points of Root Bone Value had long since made him utterly different from when he first entered the martial arts academy!
Root Bone and innate foundations were determined from birth. Yuan Tieyi was already advanced in age, yet he had never heard of anyone raising their Root Bone. Even if one were lucky enough to obtain an ultimate heavenly treasure, the improvement would be limited. It could never transform inferior, substandard Root Bone into mid-grade Root Bone, as though scrap iron had become gold!
"You, you, you!" Yuan Tieyi clicked his tongue repeatedly, speechless. He could only feel that the other party was a monster.
The Restaurant Servant he had looked down on back then had now become such an absurd Prodigy that even he could not understand him. Was this damn fellow even human? Could he be a young demon?
Zhou Qiming remained impassive. He had already obtained the information he wanted, and he did not care in the slightest about Yuan Tieyi's sneak attack and probing.
Yuan Tieyi did not know that the strength Zhou Qiming had displayed was already the strength he possessed a month ago. That alone had driven Yuan Tieyi into a frenzy of speculation. Zhou Qiming could only shake his head and find it amusing.
"Thank you for explaining, Senior. It's getting late, and I still have to go to the restaurant for work." Zhou Qiming turned to leave. He was also worried that the Jinsha Gang might go after Xu Hailai.
"Brother Zhou, are you still willing to take me as your master?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yuan Tieyi's face flushed red. He regretted his earlier decision, but words once spoken were like water poured out. In order to win back the genius before him, Yuan Tieyi had thrown caution to the wind and was frantic with urgency.
Cheng Yu, standing to the side, was also dumbstruck, equally shocked and bewildered. What was going on? What exactly had Brother Zhou done to make her master's attitude turn a hundred and eighty degrees?
Cheng Yu was utterly confused and could not make sense of the situation for a moment.
Before you continue