Sixth Floor

"What's going on, Leyue?"

Bang!

The door shattered, and Shi Yutong's figure floated in. She had clearly been waiting nearby, observing at all times.

"Didn't you say you had a seventy to eighty percent chance of success? How did you fail?"

She held Lin Leyue's right hand, and the power of a Martial Ancestor surged in, bringing a hint of color back to Lin Leyue's face. "Mas... Master?"

"Sigh... you foolish girl!"

Shi Yutong breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Fortunately, you took the Condensing Moon Pill beforehand. With the pill's assistance, your meridians are safe... You were too reckless this time!"

"I'm sorry..."

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

However, she knew one thing for certain: the image of that youth would undoubtedly become a nightmare that would hinder her breakthroughs in the future.

If she couldn't overcome this psychological hurdle, her progress in the Martial Dao would be extremely slim, even with the help of Spirit Pills and Elixirs.

Inside the Secluded Valley.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes, a hint of joy on his face.

"The sixth trial of the Martial Dao, the Harm Gate, is finally broken!"

He pondered for a moment, then walked over to an ancient wood tree. He channeled a bit of his internal energy into his palm and struck the trunk.

Puff!

A dull sound echoed, like tearing leather.

When Fang Yuan removed his palm, a clear palm print was visible on the tree trunk. Not only that, but within the palm print were numerous dense holes, and wisps of wood shavings fluttered down.

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

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, knowing that his killing of Song Zhong was pure luck.

"The gap between the Harm Gate and the previous five trials is simply worlds apart!"

He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of power within him, and looked at his attribute panel. It had undergone a drastic change:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 3.3 Qi: 3.2 Spirit: 2.0 Age: 18 Cultivation: Sixth trial of the Martial Dao Skills: Black Sand Palm [Level 5], Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt [Level 6] Specialty: Medical Skill [Level 2], Planting Skill [Level 3]"

"Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt—a cultivation method that trains both internal and external aspects. Upon mastery, the entire body is like being encased in iron cloth, impervious to water and fire, and difficult for blades and swords to wound. Currently at the sixth level, it provides Defense reinforcement! Eagle Claw Internal Energy reinforcement!"

"Eagle Claw Skill Level 6, Eagle Claw Internal Energy! Defense reinforcement!"

Fang Yuan had already experimented with the internal energy within his body, but this defense reinforcement?

He pondered for a moment, then dispersed the internal energy within his body, spreading it beneath his skin.

Hiss!

Instantly, his skin tightened, taking on a dark iron luster completely different from before. Underneath, astonishing internal energy surged back and forth, like a suit of iron armor.

"With this layer of defense, I might even be able to withstand a few ordinary sword slashes..."

Fang Yuan's eyes lit up. "Such astonishing improvements in defense and attack power! After the sixth trial, internal energy transforms, truly a world of difference from ordinary martial artists!"

With such progress, he couldn't help but set his sights on those Spirit Birds.

"With my current martial arts, if those Red-eyed White Birds dare to land and fight me, I won't fear ordinary mutated species. Even a few Spirit Birds, and that leader like a roc, would still be troublesome!"

Fang Yuan had been coveting the Qingfeng Spiritual Land deep within Qingling Mountain for a long time.

However, the massive flock of mutated birds formed an impassable chasm before him, forcing him to only engage in occasional skirmishes and snatch small advantages. How could he tolerate this?

"That Qingfeng Spiritual Land is an excellent base camp for the rear. The sooner it's developed, the better!"

Only a spiritual land provided the best environment for Spirit Seeds to grow.

Although Fang Yuan could currently cultivate Spiritual Plants using his own abilities, the cost and the destruction to the surrounding environment were truly unbearable.

Moreover, it wasn't very safe.

Therefore, eliminating the Red-eyed White Bird flock and occupying the Qingfeng Spiritual Land was imperative.

"At worst, I'll wear them down. I'll go every day and launch surprise attacks to kill a few. We'll see if they can reproduce faster than I can kill them!"

A fierce look suddenly appeared on Fang Yuan's face.

In the mountains, time passed without notice, and another ten-odd days slipped by.

In Qingye City, the lives and noble families that had been devastated by Song Zhong's rampage had finally begun to recover, and on the surface, everything had returned to its former peaceful state.

As for the Zhou Family, which had been nearly wiped out, they were almost completely forgotten.

Instead, the power vacuum they left behind was being swallowed up by newly rising families, with the Lin Family being the most significant beneficiary.

One day, in Qingye City.

A youth strolled into the city, a hint of reminiscence on his face. "This Qingye City is still as lively as ever!"

This person was, of course, Fang Yuan.

During this period, besides cultivating Red Jade Rice and drinking Spirit Tea day and night, he had been guarding the vicinity of Qingfeng Spiritual Land, solely focused on the Red-eyed White Birds.

The sixth layer of the Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt was truly extraordinary. At the very least, he was fearless against the tearing and pecking of ordinary Red-eyed White Birds, as long as they weren't vital spots.

Utilizing this characteristic, he hunted Red-eyed White Birds in large numbers. When attacked by a flock of Spirit Birds, he would retreat into the dense fog. Day and night, he subsisted on bird meat, Spirit Tea, and Spirit Water, his martial arts and foundation slowly improving.

The flock of Spirit Birds also began to decline at a visible rate.

Even the Bird King could do nothing about Fang Yuan, this cunning enemy.

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

However, recently, Fang Yuan's focus had gradually shifted to the Red Jade Rice paddies.

He was facing a huge problem: the Fire-Returning Liquid required more Realgar Powder, and he was running short...

After all, although he had a large reserve previously, the rice paddies were also heavy feeders. With the expansion of production this time, it was common to encounter such a situation.

With this issue, Fang Yuan, no matter how unwilling, had to go out and procure more. Unless he wanted to see his spiritual fields yield nothing, he had no other choice.

Secondly, he dared not push the Red-eyed White Bird flock too hard.

After his intense culling, the remaining Red-eyed White Birds were exceptionally fierce and incredibly cunning. They would cry out for help at the slightest danger, alerting all the Spirit Birds and the Bird King.

Once, Fang Yuan narrowly escaped under the frantic pursuit of the flock, suffering several bloody holes in his back before barely making it out alive.

After eliminating the old, weak, sick, and disabled, only the tough ones remained.

Furthermore, he didn't want to push them too hard. These spirit beasts had developed intelligence akin to humans. If they were pushed to desperation and deliberately destroyed the spiritual land, that was something Fang Yuan absolutely did not want to see.

"Boss! Thirty catties of the best Realgar Powder! The highest quality!"

It was the same Grocery Store as last time. As soon as Fang Yuan entered, he shouted, acting like a nouveau riche with deep pockets.

His recent trip to the county town had yielded quite a lot, and he wasn't lacking in gold and silver now.

"Thirty catties?!"

The originally smiling, plump shopkeeper's face immediately showed hesitation upon hearing this. "That's too much. We only have fifteen catties in stock..."

"Is that so? Then pack it all up!"

Fang Yuan waved his hand generously, preparing to move on to the next shop to continue his spree.

"Yes, yes..."

The plump shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, shooing away his assistant and personally handling the careful packaging and weighing. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Huh? Young man, have we met before?"

He looked at the youth, feeling a sense of familiarity.

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

Now a master of the sixth layer, Fang Yuan had far fewer scruples and said it directly.

"Last time, Realgar Powder! I remember now, you're the youth who sold Red Ginseng last time and was then taken in by the Zhou Family!"

The shopkeeper punched his fist.

"Precisely!"

Fang Yuan took the medicine bag himself and casually asked, "I heard there was a major incident in the county. How is the Zhou Family doing now?"

"Alas..."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "What else can be said? The servants were either killed or fled, their shops were occupied, and even their old mansion has become a gathering place for beggars. It's a pity that Old Master Zhou's hard work in managing the family so prosperously has now led to such a swift decline..."

Fang Yuan fell silent upon hearing this.

Even though the Zhou Family still had Zhou Wenwu, the Gui Ling Sect punishing Song Zhong was considered a resolution.

From now on, for the Zhou Family to regain its former prestige in Qingye City, even if Zhou Wenwu returned immediately, he would have to start from scratch. He couldn't expect the sect to help him; after all, the Gui Ling Sect wasn't a charity.

"So, who has the greatest influence in Qingye City now?"

Fang Yuan continued to ask.

"If you're talking about the greatest influence, it's undoubtedly the Lin Family. Old Master Lin had a good daughter... Next are the Zhang Family and the Guo Family, both newly risen families..."

In reality, these two families were originally minor families in Qingye City with some foundation.

When this opportunity arose, they immediately soared, feasting heartily on the remnants of the Zhou Family's downfall.

The victor becomes king, the loser becomes a bandit. Even in a small county town, it was so bloody and cruel.

Looks like 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 and calmly walked out of the shop, disappearing into the crowd.

The stout shopkeeper, however, watched his retreating figure with a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

"Does this young master wish to purchase Realgar Powder?"

"Indeed!"

As Fang Yuan was browsing the city and preparing to buy some miscellaneous items, several people suddenly appeared before him.

These people wore uniform clothing, indicating they belonged to a certain faction. They all wore fawning smiles, and the one leading them had decent martial arts skills, around the third gate.

"I am Zhang Han. My master has long heard of your great name and wishes to befriend you! This is but a small token of our esteem!"

Zhang Han waved his hand, and the servants beside him immediately stepped forward, holding brocade boxes. Upon opening them, one box contained excellent Realgar Powder, while the other gleamed with silver—two rows of small silver ingots.