Wang Yanshan's eyes widened, the muscles on his face twitching faintly, his features filled with disbelief.
His Adam's apple bobbed. The words nearly burst from his mouth, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor:
"This... Master Hong, you—you couldn't have seen wrong, could you?! How could he possibly..."
Hong Decheng had not even fully turned around. He merely tilted his head and swept Wang Yanshan a cold glance.
That gaze pressed down on Wang Yanshan's shoulders like something tangible, instantly making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Are you questioning my judgment?"
Hong Decheng's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.
Wang Yanshan fell silent at once, every word clogging his throat.
He lowered his head, not daring to look Master Hong in the eye again,
but a stormy sea had already risen in his heart, leaving him dazed.
How was this possible?
How could someone with mediocre bone structure reach the qi-and-blood limit in a mere twenty-four days?
This completely defied the common sense of martial cultivation!
Unless... unless his bone structure was not actually mediocre?
But the thought was rejected the instant it appeared. How could Master Hong have been wrong twice in a row?
Wang Yanshan's mind was in utter chaos.
Just moments ago, he had still been plotting how to teach Fang Chen a proper lesson, imagining the sight of him kneeling and begging for mercy,
yet in the blink of an eye, the situation had completely reversed.
This sudden change had taken him entirely by surprise.
His fingers clenched unconsciously, his nails digging deeply into his palms.
Could it be that I'm really going to lose this bet?
No wonder Fang Chen had remained so composed from beginning to end.
It turned out he had not been pretending to be calm at all, but had truly possessed the confidence to back it up!
Thinking back on his words and actions over the past few days—the taunts and provocations—Wang Yanshan now found them utterly laughable...
Wang Yanshan was not the only one whose mind had been shaken to its core.
Song Ming, standing to the side, was likewise rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.
He had anticipated that Fang Chen might beg for mercy, and he had even imagined Fang Chen stubbornly clinging to his pride to the bitter end,
but he had never imagined that Fang Chen would truly reach the threshold of breaking through!
This was completely unreasonable!
Song Ming's heart roared.
Even with the aptitude granted by his superior bone structure, he had spent a full forty-five days breaking through the Skin and Muscle Realm.
During that time, his family had supplied him with vast quantities of precious medicinal herbs. Every meal had been carefully prepared as medicinal cuisine,
and even the bathwater he used had been an expensive medicinal bath.
With such abundant resources piled behind him, he had still needed forty-five days to break through successfully.
What did Fang Chen have?
What right did he have to reach such a level in only twenty-four days?
A powerful sense of imbalance surged within Song Ming's heart.
He had always prided himself on his outstanding talent and was deeply admired by the other disciples. After breaking through to the Second Realm, his confidence had soared, and he believed that among his peers, no one could surpass him.
Only Fang Chen's astonishing comprehension on the day he entered the sect had made him feel slightly threatened. He had been forced to admit that, in terms of comprehension, Fang Chen was indeed far above him.
But with mediocre bone structure, Fang Chen's future was destined to be limited. Song Ming had therefore stopped taking him seriously, viewing him as nothing more than a clown seeking attention.
In his eyes, Fang Chen had no chance of breaking through. Yet now... reality had dealt him a heavy blow.
The martial arts hall had long since erupted into an uproar.
The disciples whispered among themselves. Exclamations and discussions rose and fell one after another, disbelief written across every face.
"Junior Brother Fang's qi and blood have really reached the limit? It's only been this long!"
"How did he do it?"
"With comprehension beyond the ordinary and such astonishing progress, if he continues at this rate, perhaps reaching the Viscera Realm in the future won't be out of the question!"
Someone made a quick calculation and exclaimed in astonishment:
"So that means Fang Chen gets five doses of great medicine for free? One from Senior Brother Wang and four from Senior Brother Song... Senior Brother Song has really suffered a huge loss this time."
"Not necessarily," a voice cut into the discussion.
"Don't forget that Fang Chen's bone structure is ultimately only mediocre. Even if no one knows what method he used to rapidly nurture his qi and blood, breaking through will likely still be difficult. The limitations of one's bone structure aren't so easy to overcome."
At these words, Wang Yanshan seized upon them like a drowning man clutching at a straw, a glimmer of hope reigniting in his eyes.
He thought, That's right! With mediocre bone structure, breaking through will surely be difficult!
He forcibly calmed himself, trying to recover a little of his confidence.
Song Ming also suddenly came back to his senses. That was right—the wager was not over yet!
Fang Chen might not successfully break through. Why should he lose his composure first? He drew a deep breath, barely calming his turbulent emotions, and once again put on his usual haughty expression.
How could the disadvantage of poor bone structure be so easily reversed?
Fang Chen, however, remained perfectly calm. He paid no attention to the surrounding discussion and merely turned his gaze toward Hong Decheng.
All words were futile. The truth would reveal itself once he broke through.
Hong Decheng understood. In a low voice, he said, "Come with me to the rear courtyard. When breaking through, outside disturbances are most taboo."
"Yes."
The two entered the rear courtyard one after the other.
Unlike the bustle of the front courtyard, the rear courtyard was exceptionally peaceful. Only the rustling of leaves could be heard as the breeze swept past.
Hong Decheng said directly, "Begin."
Fang Chen nodded, took out wild fern and swallowed it, then immediately assumed the opening stance of the Tiger Subduing Fist.
As the fist techniques unfolded, the qi and blood throughout his body began to surge. Even the air seemed to ripple in waves.
Hong Decheng stood with his hands behind his back, concentrating as he observed.
At first, his gaze still held a hint of scrutiny,
but that scrutiny soon became surprise, then gradually turned into disbelief.
Every move and stance Fang Chen performed was precise and perfectly executed.
Amid the roaring wind of his fists, Hong Decheng keenly noticed that a faint glimmer of qi and blood was circulating beneath Fang Chen's skin. The strength and speed of his punches had also clearly reached a higher level!
This was plainly a sign that he had already broken through to the Skin and Muscle Realm!
But... in the circulation of the Tiger Subduing Fist's movements, he was clearly still lacking that final spark before achieving minor mastery!
Hong Decheng's brows drew tighter and tighter, stormy waves churning in his heart.
This contradictory phenomenon completely exceeded the bounds of his understanding.
Unless...
A startling thought flashed through his mind like lightning: Could it be... that he had secretly cultivated another Martial Art as well?! And that he had already used it to break through to the Skin and Muscle Realm?!
The moment this thought arose, Hong Decheng felt his heart quake violently, and he could barely maintain his outward composure.
For an ordinary person, practicing even one Martial Art was already extremely arduous. Fang Chen had actually dared to cultivate two at the same time?
More terrifying still, not only had this failed to distract him and delay his progress,
the two Martial Arts had instead advanced side by side—one had already broken through, while the other was on the verge of achieving minor mastery!
Before you continue