Destroying the Sect

Seeing Miss Zhou in this state, Fang Yuan frowned, then turned back into the valley and went to drink his morning tea by himself.

This spoiled young lady's temper really needed to be tempered. It would be best if she couldn't stand it and left on her own, which would be a cause for celebration.

As for sympathy?

Did he expect to feel such emotions for this spoiled young lady? What a joke!

Inside the valley, Fang Yuan chopped wood, started a fire, and cooked rice porridge and morning tea. A fragrance immediately wafted out, and even Zhou Wenxin unconsciously sniffed and her stomach rumbled.

Her footsteps involuntarily carried her forward to the valley entrance, but she still didn't dare to enter.

Although Miss Zhou was a bit willful, she wasn't foolish. Fang Yuan had already warned her so solemnly yesterday. If she rashly crossed the boundary again, even her father couldn't save her.

Besides, the scene of those servants' wrist tendons being severed by white light last time was deeply etched in her mind, making Zhou Wenxin how dare she be presumptuous?

There was no other way, so she could only gnaw on the hard, dry rations, taking in the fragrant aroma from the valley, not to mention the grievances in her heart.

Inside the valley.

Fang Yuan and the Flower Fox Ferret each held a small bowl, drinking Red Jade Rice porridge, but there was no intention of helping the other.

This Spirit Rice was precious. Didn't they see that even Fang Yuan's breakfast had turned into porridge? Both the person and the ferret cherished it greatly, with absolutely no thought of sharing it with outsiders.

"Even my Pearl Jade Crystal Rice is the finest of mortal products. Long-term consumption can nourish Qi and benefit the body, replenishing vital energy..."

As Fang Yuan thought, he sighed again, "The Spirit Tea has long been depleted, and there isn't much Red Jade Rice left... Now, changing to ordinary tea for my morning tea every day makes me suffer immensely. If I can't even eat Spirit Rice, how can I go on living?"

"Cackle!"

Beside him, the Flower Fox Ferret, being extremely intelligent, raised its little paws, indicating that it felt the same way.

"In the final analysis, it's all about the Spiritual Fertilizer!"

Fang Yuan stared at the Flower Fox Ferret. "Before, when I asked you to take me there, you always made excuses. What about now? I'm already a skilled martial artist with four levels. How is this strength?"

"Cackle?!"

The Flower Fox Ferret licked the last drop of porridge water from its bowl before reluctantly putting it down and moving to an open space.

"Oh? You want to spar with me?"

Fang Yuan's spirits lifted, and he became interested, knowing that the Flower Fox Ferret was also unsure about his current strength and needed a practical test to confirm.

"Come on!"

Ever since that incident where he killed Song Yujie, Fang Yuan had discovered that the experience gained from actual combat far surpassed what he gained from diligent practice. So, what was there to say? Seeing the Flower Fox Ferret act like this, he also became eager and stepped into the arena.

"Don't hold back!"

Fang Yuan took a deep breath. His palms suddenly turned as dark as ink, veins bulging like earthworms, constantly spreading upwards, causing his arms to thicken by a full circumference.

This is roughly the path my internal Qi has circulated. My body has been amplified?

The parts strengthened by the Black Sand Palm were the strongest in the palms, followed by the arms, then the chest and abdomen. As for the back, legs, head, etc., they were completely negligible.

There was no way around it. The Black Sand Palm was low-level, and it wasn't a technique focused on defense at all. Being able to reinforce the palms and arms was already quite good.

"Hiss hiss!"

On the other hand, the Flower Fox Ferret noticed that the ordinary Fang Yuan had suddenly become dangerous, and its fur stood on end slightly.

Whoosh!

It pressed its claws onto the ground, and its entire body instantly turned into a white lightning bolt, arriving in front of Fang Yuan as fast as lightning.

Chit chit!

Its sharp claws stirred up a strong wind, feeling like blades slicing across the face.

"Good! Just like that, don't hold back!"

Fang Yuan struck out with his palm, his eyes shining brightly.

He had only fought the Flower Fox Ferret once before, during their first meeting under the moonlight. At that time, the Flower Fox Ferret's intelligence was far less acute than it was now, and he himself was just a mortal who knew no martial arts.

Now, both had improved, making Fang Yuan even more excited, wanting to probe the Flower Fox Ferret's limits.

"Black Sand Vast!"

With this thought, the palm of his right hand suddenly turned black, carrying a fishy fragrance, as intoxicating as a mandrake.

"Hiss hiss!"

Seeing this, the Flower Fox Ferret actually didn't dare to confront him directly. Its body moved in a zigzag pattern in mid-air, dodging like lightning, and circled behind Fang Yuan, launching a sneak attack with its claws.

"Reverse Palm!"

Fang Yuan turned and struck out with another palm. Amidst the strong wind, the Flower Fox Ferret nimbly leaped away, but three fresh red claw marks appeared on his arm, which had thickened by a circumference.

"Hmm? The attack power is very high, but the defense is very low!"

Seeing the Flower Fox Ferret like this, Fang Yuan immediately came to a conclusion.

He had focused his Qi on his arms. A small wound was nothing. With a slight circulation of his Qi, the muscles automatically clamped shut, stopping the bleeding and numbing the pain.

"Good! Again!"

Fang Yuan fought with gusto. With a great shout, his palms seemed to stir up a black wind, kicking up sand and stones. The potent poison forced the Flower Fox Ferret to retreat repeatedly, daring not to cross the line.

Hmm... the Flower Fox Ferret's true strength lies in its attacks; even martial arts experts at the seventh or eighth gate would be wary. As long as they don't specialize in hard body techniques, they'd suffer a great loss... but its defense is too weak. A martial artist at the fourth or fifth gate could break through its defenses. Its weakness is quite severe, and it can only compensate with speed...

After a fierce battle, Fang Yuan felt his strength waning and called a halt first. "Stop!"

He had to constantly use his full power to force the Flower Fox Ferret back, rapidly depleting his internal Qi.

If this continued, the Flower Fox Ferret would ultimately have the upper hand.

If I were a fifth-gate martial artist now, I could last longer. Especially if I could break through the Gate of Injury, condense my internal Qi into a single stream, forming internal force, I could sustain myself for much longer. Then, I should be able to defeat the Flower Fox Ferret...

Fang Yuan clenched his fist, quite satisfied with his progress.

Especially after seeing the proficiency of his Black Sand Palm increase by a large margin, the smile on his face widened. "Very good, Flower Fox Ferret. From now on, you'll be my sparring partner several times a day!"

"Hiss hiss..."

Across from him, the Flower Fox Ferret weakly stuck out its tongue. For it, facing such fierce palm winds and having to remain highly alert to contend with them was also very tiring.

"Cackle!"

However, seeing Fang Yuan transform from an ordinary person to this in such a short time, even the Flower Fox Ferret was somewhat astonished. It gestured with its little paws.

"It's ready?"

Fang Yuan understood its meaning and was overjoyed.

The location of that Spiritual Fertilizer would finally be open to him?

Once he had an endless supply of Spiritual Fertilizer, the output of Spirit Tea and Spirit Rice would be a non-issue. He would definitely be able to improve rapidly!

Qinghe Commandery, Kou Family Manor.

This manor was considered influential within the county, with most of its inhabitants bearing the Kou surname. Of course, the most crucial figure was a master of palm techniques, Kou Feng, who had created the Black Sand Palm!

But at this moment, the entire Kou Family Manor was shrouded in a sea of corpses and blood.

Fierce flames soared several zhang high, engulfing the originally solid and spacious estate. Inside the Kou Family Manor, the sounds of slaughter were deafening. Disciples of the Gui Ling Sect, their faces devoid of emotion, carried out the massacre.

It turned out that in the face of a hegemonic force in Qinghe Commandery, the resistance of the entire Kou Family Manor was insignificant.

"Elder Song has ordered that no one in the Kou Family Manor, not even chickens or dogs, shall be spared. All are to be exterminated!"

"Kill!"

Amidst the chaotic shouts, in a certain large courtyard, a black shadow lunged out. Both his palms had turned pitch black, stirring up gusts of foul wind. Any Gui Ling Sect disciple who got close clutched their throats and fell to the ground, pale as ghosts.

"Song Zhong, you've gone too far!"

The black shadow roared. It was an old man with white hair and beard. "According to the rules of the jianghu, one should not involve families. Even if there's an issue, you should only come after me. How dare you do this?"

"Jianghu rules?"

Song Zhong, who had been wearing a gloomy expression, moved.

As he moved, he floated towards the old man like a willow catkin, his speed as swift as a phantom.

"Black Sand Palm!"

The old man unleashed his lifelong cultivation, pushing his palms forward and maximizing the poison.

The world believed the Black Sand Palm was known for its ferocity, but few knew its true power lay in its poison. In his lineage, only true inner disciples were taught this secret. The old man's cultivation was naturally at its peak. He had even had a fortunate encounter, breaking through the Gate of Injury, making him a sixth-gate martial arts expert with some renown in the commandery.

"Black Sand Palm, Poison Quenching!"

Song Zhong's expression remained indifferent, his eyes filled with disdain. He suddenly flicked his right hand, drawing a circle, and then pulling.

Crack!

Under the old man's astonished gaze, his left and right palms slammed into each other. The immense force, mixed with poison, immediately shattered his arms. He was severely wounded and spat blood, collapsing to the ground.

"To break through the Black Sand Palm to the sixth gate, you are indeed talented. However, you are far from understanding the horrors beyond the Gate of Injury!"

Song Zhong said leisurely. "Once you touch the Gate of Injury, your whole body is wounded! Reaching the Gate of Shock exhausts the mind and spirit! The Gate of Death is the most terrifying; failure means death! The three perilous gates of martial arts, each one more difficult than the last. I have already broken through the Gate of Shock. My internal force is condensed like steel. How can your meager poison and internal force shake me? Instead, you are counterattacked and on the verge of death!"

"Elder Song... I offended you, but is this really necessary!"

The old man looked at the devastated scene and couldn't help but feel grief.

"You offending me doesn't matter much. I would have followed the rules of the jianghu, but now that Yu Jie is dead, what concerns do I have..."

Song Zhong said calmly, but the more he did, the more terror appeared on the old man's face. "You don't think it was me? No, no!"

"It doesn't matter whether it was you or not. Anyway, none of your personal disciples will escape!"

Song Zhong said indifferently and then pointed a finger at the old man's forehead.

This elder, who had broken through six gates and condensed the Black Sand Palm to an unprecedented level, generating black sand internal force, slumped softly to the ground, becoming a corpse.

Seeing the old man's demise, Song Zhong showed little joy. Instead, a hint of confusion appeared on his face. "According to those servants, Yu Jie died from a poisoned Black Sand Palm. But if it wasn't this dead man, how could his personal disciples be Yu Jie's match? What did I miss?"