Divine Weapon Fragment

However, shock techniques that attacked the internal organs were extremely effective against these Physique Refinement Martial Artists, whose organs were so delicate.

Xu Yunfan felt somewhat regretful. If he had a heavy hammer in hand right now, he could definitely kill Yang Gan on the spot with ease.

Suddenly, an idea struck Xu Yunfan. He turned and darted into the pit, grabbed the Iron Pickaxe, then swiftly climbed back out and charged at Yang Gan.

Yang Gan panted heavily. Seeing Xu Yunfan still rushing toward him, his eyes widened as he hurriedly raised a hand and shouted, "Wait! We're both Physique Refinement Martial Artists. To determine a victor, we'd need at least a thousand rounds of battle. You..."

Before he could finish, Xu Yunfan said nothing and swung the Iron Pickaxe down viciously. Yang Gan took a deep breath and mobilized the blood and qi within his body. In an instant, the muscles all over his body bulged, veins protruding one after another like green pythons coiling across his flesh.

He said in a deep voice, "It's useless. Ordinary blades can at most leave a white mark on my body. They can't even break my skin... Urgh! Aah!!!"

Before his words had faded, the Iron Pickaxe embedded with the Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer Fragment closed in instantly.

The pickaxe tip seemed to slice into the softest tofu, plunging more than halfway into his chest without the slightest resistance and driving straight toward his heart.

Yang Gan's eyes went wide, filled with terror and disbelief. His eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets.

The excruciating pain from his heart was like countless steel needles piercing him at once, making every cell in his body tremble.

Instinctively, he thrust out both hands and clamped down on the Iron Pickaxe with all his strength, as though that could stop the deadly weapon from going any deeper.

"How is this possible... My physique-refined body was broken by a single strike of this pickaxe!"

Shock and fury churned in Yang Gan's heart. He could not believe that the physique refinement art he had painstakingly cultivated for years, the art he had always been so proud of, had proven so utterly fragile.

The muscles in his arms bulged high, and veins writhed madly beneath his skin like enraged little snakes as he desperately resisted the Iron Pickaxe still trying to burrow deeper.

Xu Yunfan's muscles were bulging as well, every one of them like a small hill packed with power.

The blood and qi within him surged like boiling magma, turbulent and violent.

As his blood and qi roiled, the size of his muscles kept increasing. Layer upon layer of muscle swelled wildly, making him look from afar like an inflated demonic bodybuilder, radiating a terrifying aura that sent chills down the spine.

"I already know where my strength stands!"

Xu Yunfan's voice was low.

The martial arts advancements granted by the Attribute Panel allowed him to continuously gain perfect control as his proficiency rose. Ordinary martial artists of the same realm could not compare.

"Wait, wait! I know what's buried beneath Ningguta! I can share it with you! And I have a chest full of gold, silver, and treasures—I can give it all to you! Wait, wait!"

Under Yang Gan's utterly terrified gaze, Xu Yunfan remained silent and slowly exerted force. The muscles in his arms tightened like steel, every inch of them releasing boundless strength.

Driven by him, the Iron Pickaxe continued inch by inch into Yang Gan's chest, steadily piercing through his heart.

Yang Gan's body stiffened violently at first. Then, the bulging muscles all over his body deflated in an instant like punctured balloons.

His hands fell limply, and his entire body seemed to lose all support as he slowly toppled backward.

His eyes remained fixed on Xu Yunfan, but the light in them gradually dimmed until the final spark of life went out, leaving him completely still.

Xu Yunfan let out a breath and pulled the Iron Pickaxe from Yang Gan's body with one hand.

He glanced at the Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer Fragment embedded in the pickaxe tip, clicking his tongue in amazement. He truly had not expected such a tiny fragment to so easily break through and kill a martial artist who had reached Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering and specialized in physique refinement.

This Divine Weapon was truly a good thing.

With Yang Gan dead, Xu Yunfan inexplicably felt relieved. Back in the mine tunnel, Yang Gan's gaze upon him had made him deeply uncomfortable. Whenever he thought of that cold, faintly murderous look, he could barely sleep.

Now, he could finally relax completely.

He glanced at the information in his vision. Prompts for the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art's advancement flooded across it like a screen refresh.

'Fists and kicks rain down upon your body. You sense the blood and qi of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art surging within you. Crimson Flame Copper Body Art proficiency increases.'

'Your opponent's fists and kicks are heavy. Though you are beaten back step by step, you sense the warm current of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art flowing through your limbs and bones. Crimson Flame Copper Body Art proficiency increases. Your physique grows increasingly resilient.'

'...'

In a short time, it had given him thirteen points of proficiency. If Yang Gan had not wanted to kill him, Xu Yunfan would have wanted to spare his life so he could use him to temper his martial arts and farm proficiency.

In this kind of high-intensity battle, the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art's proficiency rose quickly.

"The Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer, when complete, was a weapon that had surpassed the Sixth Order Precious Artifact rank and reached the level of a Seventh Order Divine Weapon."

Li Haomiao slowly moved out of the large pit as he spoke. Looking at Yang Gan lying motionless on the ground, he sighed. "Across the whole of Great Zhou, how many Divine Weapons are there?"

Xu Yunfan glanced at Fang Mushan, who was still fighting nearby. Seeing that he had already gained the upper hand, Xu Yunfan casually called out. After Fang Mushan decisively refused his offer of help, he withdrew his gaze.

"If Divine Weapons can so easily break physique refinement arts, then what is the point of cultivating physique refinement?"

At Xu Yunfan's words, Li Haomiao looked into the distance at Fang Mushan, who wielded a long spear as his body moved with it, wind rising beneath his feet.

"What a fierce general. Given enough time, he may not be unable to become as famous as his father."

After praising him, Li Haomiao said evenly, "Long ago, there was an unnamed old monk of Amitabha Temple who cultivated the Amitabha Golden Body Scripture. When the temple was being destroyed, he emerged and withstood two Divine Weapons head-on, yet his golden body remained unbroken. Even in such an era, that was truly earth-shattering."

"You mean that whether it's a Divine Weapon or martial arts, it ultimately depends on the person?"

Li Haomiao nodded. "Exactly."

Xu Yunfan frowned. "Why not just say it plainly? What's the point of beating around the bush?"

Li Haomiao sighed helplessly. "Rotten wood cannot be carved."

Xu Yunfan could not be bothered to say more to Li Haomiao. He simply continued sensing the power brought by the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art reaching Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering.

The Attribute Panel did not show any prompt saying it could no longer advance, which meant that once he filled all five thousand points of proficiency, he should be able to attain the Golden Skin Manifestation Li Haomiao had mentioned.

Golden Skin Jade Veins, Vermillion Blood Silver Essence.

"If the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art advances another step and reaches perfection, it should manifest the Golden Skin Manifestation, right?"

At this, Li Haomiao could not help glancing at Xu Yunfan, whose blood and qi had yet to settle and whose skin still carried a faint bronze sheen.

"If you cultivate the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art to its utmost limit, you can indeed achieve it. But..."

Li Haomiao shook his head. "To pursue perfection—even most True Blood martial artists cannot accomplish it. It only wastes time. How many prodigies in this world have spent decades pursuing the realm of perfection without ever reaching it? They could have climbed to greater heights in martial arts, yet in the end, they were reduced to being mere martial artists. You... what are you doing?"