Six Layers

"What's going on, Lei Yue?"

Boom!

The door shattered, and Shi Yutong swept inside. She had clearly been waiting nearby, keeping watch.

"You said you were seventy or eighty percent sure you'd succeed. How could you have failed?"

She grasped Lin Leyue's right hand and swiftly poured Martial Ancestor power into her. A trace of color appeared in Lin Leyue's face. "M-Master?"

"Ah... you foolish girl!"

Shi Yutong let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you took the Condensing Moon Pill beforehand. With the pill's help, your meridians should be completely unharmed... You were far too reckless this time!"

"I'm sorry..."

Lin Leyue's lips moved, but she still couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

There was one thing she knew for certain: that young man's image would become a nightmare whenever she tried to break through in the future.

If she couldn't overcome this psychological barrier, then making any progress in martial arts would be next to impossible, even with miraculous pills and medicines to help her.

Deep in the Hidden Valley.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes, a trace of delight on his face.

"The sixth martial gate, Harm Gate, is finally broken!"

He pondered for a moment, then went over to an ancient tree nearby. He drew a little internal power into his palm and struck the trunk.

Thump!

A muffled sound rang out, like a crack in worn leather.

When Fang Yuan pulled his hand away, a sharply defined palm print had appeared on the tree trunk. What's more, the print was riddled with countless tiny holes, and fine wood shavings drifted down.

"As expected, Internal Breath and internal power are completely different things. If the former is cotton thread, the latter is steel wire!"

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, realizing how incredibly lucky he'd been to kill Song Zhong.

"The gap between Harm Gate and the first five gates is like heaven and earth!"

He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of strength within him, and looked at his status panel. It had undergone a complete transformation:

Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 3.3

Qi: 3.2

Spirit: 2.0

Age: 18

Cultivation: Sixth Martial Gate

Skills: Black Sand Palm [Level 5], Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt [Level 6]

Specialties: Medical Skill [Level 2], Planting Skill [Level 3]

"Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt—an internal and external cultivation technique. Once mastered, the whole body is like iron cloth: impervious to water and fire, and difficult to injure with blades or swords. Currently at Level 6, with enhanced defense! Eagle Claw Internal Energy strengthened!"

"Eagle Claw Skill, Level 6: Eagle Claw Internal Energy! Enhanced defense!"

Fang Yuan had already tried out his internal energy, but what about this enhanced defense?

He thought it over, then released the internal energy in his body and spread it beneath his skin.

Hiss!

In an instant, his skin tightened all over, taking on a dark, metallic sheen unlike anything before. Beneath it, astonishing internal energy surged back and forth, like a suit of armor.

"With this layer of defense, I should be able to withstand a blow or two from ordinary blades and swords..."

Fang Yuan's eyes lit up. "Such an astonishing boost to both defense and attack! After the sixth gate, internal power is born, and the difference between me and ordinary martial artists is truly like heaven and earth!"

With such a leap in strength, he couldn't help turning his thoughts to those Spirit Birds.

"With my martial arts at this level, if those Red-eyed White Birds dare to land and fight me, I won't fear ordinary mutated ones at all. But a few Spirit Birds, along with that leader as huge as a roc, could still be troublesome!"

Fang Yuan had long coveted the Qingfeng Spiritual Land deep in Qingling Mountain.

Unfortunately, the immense flock of mutated birds stood before him like an unbridgeable chasm, forcing him to settle for occasional raids and small gains. How could he put up with that?

"That Qingfeng Spiritual Land would make an excellent rear base. The sooner I develop it, the better!"

Only a Spiritual Land could provide the best environment for Spirit Seeds to grow.

At this point, Fang Yuan could also cultivate spiritual plants using his own special ability, but the cost—and the devastation it wrought on the surrounding environment—was truly appalling.

Besides, it wasn't very safe.

So wiping out that flock of Red-eyed White Birds and taking over the Qingfeng Spiritual Land was a must.

"At worst, I'll wear those White Birds down. I'll go there every day and catch a few off guard, killing them one by one. We'll see whether they breed faster or I kill them faster!"

A ruthless glint suddenly appeared in Fang Yuan's eyes.

In the mountains, time slipped by unnoticed. Another dozen or so days passed.

In Qingye City, the people and prominent families had gradually recovered from the devastation wrought by Song Zhong. On the surface, the city had returned to its usual calm.

As for the Zhou Family, which had been all but wiped out, it was gradually fading from people's memories.

The power vacuum it had left behind was being swallowed up by newly rising families, with the Lin Family taking the biggest share.

One day, in Qingye City.

A young man strolled through the city gates, a wistful look on his face. "Qingye City is just as lively as ever!"

The young man was naturally Fang Yuan.

During this time, apart from cultivating Red Jade Rice and drinking Spirit Tea day and night, he had kept watch around the Qingfeng Spiritual Land, constantly looking for chances to take on the Red-eyed White Birds.

The sixth level of Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt was truly extraordinary. At least when ordinary Red-eyed White Birds clawed and pecked at him, he felt no fear at all as long as they didn't hit a vital spot.

Taking advantage of this, he had slaughtered Red-eyed White Birds in great numbers. When Spirit Birds surrounded him, he hid in the thick fog. Day and night, he lived on bird meat, Spirit Tea, and Spirit Water, while his martial arts and foundation steadily improved.

Meanwhile, the flock of Spirit Birds had visibly dwindled.

Even the bird king could do nothing about Fang Yuan, such a cunning enemy.

If not for the Qingfeng Spiritual Land's excellent location, the entire flock of Red-eyed White Birds might have migrated away.

Recently, however, Fang Yuan's attention had gradually shifted to the Red Jade Rice Field.

He was facing a serious problem: he was running short of the Realgar Powder needed to make Fire-Returning Liquid...

He had stocked up on plenty before, but the rice field was a hungry consumer of fertilizer, and he had expanded production again this time. This was only to be expected.

Once this problem arose, Fang Yuan had no choice but to go out and procure supplies, however unwilling he was. Unless he wanted his Spiritual Field to yield not a single grain, he had no other option.

The second reason was that he didn't dare push the flock of Red-eyed White Birds too hard.

After his killing spree, the Red-eyed White Birds that remained were all particularly fierce and cunning. Whenever they sensed danger, they screeched for help, alerting all the Spirit Birds and the bird king.

Once, Fang Yuan had failed to escape in time. The flock chased him relentlessly, leaving several bloody holes in his back. He had barely managed to get away alive.

Once the old, weak, sick, and injured had been weeded out, only the tough nuts remained.

Besides, he didn't want to push them too hard. Those Spiritual Beasts already possessed intelligence similar to humans'. If, in the end, they were driven into a corner and deliberately destroyed the Spiritual Land, that was a sight Fang Yuan absolutely didn't want to see.

"Shopkeeper! Give me thirty jin of top-quality Realgar Powder! The very best you've got!"

It was the same Grocery Store as last time. The moment Fang Yuan walked in, he called out, swaggering like a nouveau riche with money to burn.

He'd gained a great deal from his trip to the commandery city, and now he really didn't care about a little gold or silver.

"Thirty jin?!"

The Fat Shopkeeper had been all smiles, but at this he hesitated. "That's a huge amount. This shop only has fifteen jin in stock..."

"Oh, is that so? Then pack it all up!"

Fang Yuan waved his hand with a flourish, ready to go to the next shop and keep buying them out.

"Yes, yes..."

The Fat Shopkeeper nodded hurriedly, sent the shop assistant away, and personally set to wrapping and weighing the goods. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Eh? Young brother, have we met before?"

Looking at the young man, he felt there was something familiar about him.

"Yes. I bought Realgar Powder from you last time, too!"

Fang Yuan had long since shed many of his reservations now that he was a sixth-gate expert. He answered directly.

"Last time, Realgar Powder! I remember now. You're the young man who sold Red Ginseng, then had it taken by the Zhou Family!"

The shopkeeper thumped his fist.

"That's right!"

Fang Yuan took the package of medicine himself and asked casually, "I heard something big happened in the county. What's become of the Zhou Family?"

"Ah..."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "What else could happen? Their servants were either killed or ran off, their shops were taken over, and even their old residence has become a gathering place for beggars. It's a pity. Old Master Zhou poured his heart and soul into managing the family and made it thrive, but now it's fallen into ruin just like that..."

Fang Yuan fell silent.

Although the Zhou Family still had Zhou Wenwu, the Gui Ling Sect had already punished Song Zhong, bringing the matter to a close.

From then on, for the Zhou Family to regain its former standing in Qingye City would mean starting from scratch, even if Zhou Wenwu came back immediately. He shouldn't expect the sect to do anything for him. After all, the Gui Ling Sect wasn't a charity.

"Which family has the most power in Qingye City now?"

Fang Yuan continued asking.

"If you're talking about the most powerful, that's undoubtedly the Lin Family. Old Master Lin raised a fine daughter... After them come the Zhang Family and the Guo Family. They're both families that have risen recently..."

In truth, both families had originally been minor clans in Qingye City, with some foundations of their own.

When this opportunity came, they soared upward at once. They had gorged themselves on the Zhou Family's fallen remains.

Winners became kings, losers became outlaws. Even in a small county town, the world was just as bloody and cruel.

It seems it won't be easy for Zhou Wenwu to rebuild his foundation. But what does that have to do with me...?

Fang Yuan shook his head, then strolled out of the shop and disappeared into the crowd.

The Fat Shopkeeper watched his retreating figure, an unmistakable look of uncertainty on his face.

"Are you here to buy Realgar Powder, young master?"

"That's right!"

Fang Yuan had wandered around the city and was about to buy some more odds and ends when several people suddenly appeared in front of him.

They wore matching uniforms, clearly belonging to some faction. Their faces all bore flattering smiles, and the man leading them was no weakling, appearing to be around the third martial gate.

"I'm Zhang Han. My family's master has long admired you and would like to befriend you, young master! A small gift, nothing worthy of your notice!"

Zhang Han waved his hand. Several servants beside him immediately stepped forward with brocade boxes. When they opened them, one contained top-quality Realgar Powder, while another gleamed with silver: two rows of small silver ingots.