In the courtyard,
Shen Changchuan stood in an open space in the rear yard.
Before him stood a protruding boulder, as tall as a man and thick enough that two people would be needed to encircle it.
Its material was incomparably hard, difficult to deal with.
Thus, when the original owner had built the house, unwilling to spend great effort clearing it away, he could only leave it there in helpless resignation.
At this moment, Shen Changchuan had his eyes closed.
He stood firmly in place.
Facing the boulder before him.
His mind sank into its deepest depths, his perception spreading through every corner of his body.
He began circulating his power.
With each breath,
Streams of force shifted and wandered throughout his body.
Under the deliberate guidance of his mind,
They continuously gathered toward his right hand.
No one knew how long passed.
Then suddenly,
His eyes snapped open, and a sharp edge as tangible as substance seemed to flash through the air.
Bang!
Shen Changchuan stamped on the compacted earth of the courtyard. The ground sank into a bowl-sized pit, fine cracks spreading outward.
The next instant,
Whoosh!
Shen Changchuan's figure seemed to vanish in an instant, turning into a gray afterimage that crossed several zhang in the span of a breath, hurtling toward the boulder like lightning!
While still in midair,
Shen Changchuan held two fingers together like a sword.
In that instant,
The force throughout his body surged together like a tide, condensing at a single point on his fingertips!
Concentrated at one point, reaching the pinnacle!
Riiip!
The instant his finger-sword thrust out, the air was pierced like thin paper, releasing a shrill scream!
A visible pale aura rose from Shen Changchuan's fingertips, carrying spiraling distorted ripples as it slammed fiercely into the surface of