First Glimpse of the Threshold! Undercurrents Surge!

Lu Chen crouched by the earthen stove in the corner of the courtyard, washing the freshly bought pig offal.

A mixed smell hung in the air of the compound.

He had no extra seasonings—just a small jar of coarse salt and a few shriveled garlic cloves.

He cut the pig lungs into pieces, blanched them repeatedly in a large pot to remove the gamey smell, then tossed in the garlic and boiled them over a roaring fire.

The seasoning was crude, but as steam billowed up, a meaty aroma spread through the air.

Several workers nearby, gnawing on black-flour steamed buns, couldn't help sniffing and casting envious glances.

In this slum, eating meat—even offal—was a treat worthy of a festival.

"Brother Lu, struck it rich today?"

A scrawny young man sidled over, staring greedily at the chunks of meat tumbling in the pot, swallowing saliva.

His name was Monkey, also a coolie at the docks. He liked to slack off, but he was well-informed.

Lu Chen stirred the broth with a wooden ladle, not lifting his head as he said:

"Got to build myself up, or I won't have the strength to work. I've been hauling a lot these past few days; my body's running on empty."

"True enough, Brother Lu. With strength like yours, you don't seem like someone who's been eating chaff and wild greens."

Monkey gave a sheepish laugh. Seeing that Lu Chen had no intention of sharing the food, he lowered his voice:

"Brother Lu, have you heard? The river was restless again last night."

Lu Chen's movements paused slightly. He raised his eyes to look at him:

"What do you mean?"

"Word is, a Black Water Gang cargo ship capsized near Reed Marsh last night. Seven or eight good fighters on board—not a sound out of any of them. All gone! This morning, the bodies floated up, drained of blood, like dried-up corpses!"

Monkey shivered as he spoke, fear plain on his face. "Everyone's saying that 'thing' under the water came out to feed again."

Lu Chen's heart tightened.

In this world, demons and monsters weren't just legends.

The Angry River ran deep and swift, and strange things often happened. There were plenty of tales about "water ghosts" and "fish demons."

Even the Black Water Gang, with its Martial Artists, had fallen victim—showing just how vicious that thing was.

"Be careful on the job lately. Don't get too close to the water."

Lu Chen gave the advice and said no more.

This kind of trouble was far beyond his reach.

If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up. The Black Water Gang made their living on the river; they'd have to deal with the problem.

Right now, the only thing he cared about was whether the meat in the pot was done.

After another quarter-hour of boiling, Lu Chen ladled out a big bowl full of pig lungs and broth. Ignoring the scalding heat, he gulped it down.

The coarse texture and heavy gamey taste were delicious to him in that moment.

The hot liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, turning into energy that quickly spread through his limbs and bones.

His body, worn out from labor, soaked up the nourishment like parched earth drinking rain.

A full catty of pig offal, broth and all, was devoured clean—not a single drop left.

Ah...

Lu Chen let out a satisfied burp, feeling a surge of heat rising within him.

This was the true meaning of "the poor study letters, the rich practice martial arts."

Without energy intake, training was just draining your life; with energy, training was strengthening it.

He didn't rest immediately. Instead, riding that wave of warmth, he went back to the corner of the courtyard.

The night was as dark as ink, with only a few dim oil lamps flickering in the compound.

Lu Chen planted his feet, assuming the starting stance of the Stone Crushing Palm.

Perhaps because he'd just replenished his blood and qi, this time when he moved his palms, the difference was clear.

His joints, which had felt stiff, now seemed oiled, and his movements flowed more smoothly.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His palms struck the stone mill, producing dull sounds that carried far into the silent night.

Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times...

Lu Chen focused without distraction, immersed in the feeling of growing stronger bit by bit.

His arms swelled and flushed with blood; his skin turned bright red from the high-friction contact, and in some spots, fine beads of blood seeped out.

But he didn't stop.

His talent, "Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence," wasn't just a panel—it was a rule-based blessing that let him push past his physical limits through effort alone, without leaving hidden injuries.

Every ache was a mark of becoming stronger.

After who knows how long, Lu Chen felt his arms so heavy he could barely lift them, the heat within his body completely spent, replaced by a deep sense of emptiness.

He stopped moving, gasping for breath, and immediately glanced at the upper right corner of his vision.

[Name: Lu Chen]

[Martial Art: Stone Crushing Palm (1st Realm: Beginner's Glimpse 49%)]

"Practiced for an hour tonight, gained 4% proficiency."

A flicker of joy passed through Lu Chen's eyes.

At this rate, in at most half a month, Stone Crushing Palm would break through to the next realm.

He knew this wasn't just a boost in proficiency—it was a transformation of his physical constitution.

On the path of martial arts, the starting point was "Forging Strength," tempering bones and muscles to increase power.

But the true dividing line lay in "Forging Skin."

Only by training the skin and membranes across the entire body to be tough, filling the blood and qi to overflowing, gaining immense strength, and making ordinary clubs and sticks unable to harm him, could one be considered to have truly stepped through the threshold of martial arts.

By then, not just the ordinary gang members of the Black Water Gang, but even that Scarface, he was confident he could knock flat with a single palm strike.

Lu Chen washed his red and swollen arms with cold water, returned to his bed, and fell straight asleep.

That night, he slept especially deeply.

In the days that followed, Lu Chen's life became extremely routine.

By day, he hauled cargo at the Dock, picking the heaviest, best-paying jobs, using the work to hone his Carry skill and physical strength.

At night, he bought the cheapest meat, ate his fill, and then ground away at Stone Crushing Palm.

Every day he was exhausted like a dead dog, and every month the Black Water Gang bled him of a chunk of his hard-earned money. But watching the numbers on the panel steadily rise, Lu Chen's heart felt a solid sense of security.

Nothing was more reassuring than "certainty."

Ten days later.

By the Angry River, the setting sun hung low.

Lu Chen had just unloaded the last sack of rice and was about to collect his wages.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the distance at the Dock.

"Grab him! Don't let him get away!"

"That little thief dares to steal from our Black Water Gang's goods!"

A ragged little beggar, clutching a bundle tightly to his chest, darted wildly through the crowd, chased by four or five Black Water Gang thugs.

The beggar was small and thin, but his movements were unusually agile as he weaved between piles of cargo and people, narrowly dodging capture several times.

Lu Chen frowned slightly and quietly stepped back a few paces to clear the way.

He didn't like meddling in other people's business, especially when his own strength wasn't yet mature.

Just as the little beggar passed by Lu Chen, his foot caught on a loose rope, and he lost his balance, crashing heavily to the ground.

The bundle in his arms came undone, and a dark red medicinal herb rolled out.

"Blood Ginseng?!"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed in shock.

Lu Chen's breath caught.

Even if he wasn't an expert, just from the strange fragrance the herb gave off and its color, so red it seemed ready to drip blood, he knew it was something good.

A precious medicine that could greatly replenish blood and qi!

The little beggar, ignoring the pain, scrambled to pick up the Blood Ginseng.

But that brief pause was fatal.

"Run, will you! Let's see where you go now!"

A heavy foot slammed into the little beggar's back, knocking him flat again.

Immediately, the Black Water Gang thugs surrounded him, their clubs raining down.

"Ah!!"

A miserable scream rang out, making the laborers' hearts pound with fear as they turned their heads away.

The lead thug bent down, picked up the Blood Ginseng, carefully wiped the dirt off it, and sneered:

"Damn it, you even dared to steal a gift meant for the Hall Master. Looks like you've got a death wish!"

When the thugs tired of beating him, one of them spat:

"Take him away! The Hall Master said to chop him up and feed him to the fish!"

The little beggar, beaten bloody and mangled, was dragged off like a dead dog, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

From start to finish, no one dared to speak, and no one dared to stop them.

Lu Chen stood in the crowd, his face calm, but the hand hidden in his sleeve trembled slightly.

It wasn't fear—it was an instinctive craving.

That Blood Ginseng had been less than three meters away from him just moments ago.

In that instant, every cell in his body screamed at him, urging him to seize that precious herb.

If he could eat that Blood Ginseng, his Stone Crushing Palm would surely break through immediately—maybe even leap several levels!

But he held back.

Because the thug who picked up the Blood Ginseng had bulging temples and hands thick with calluses. He was clearly a trained fighter, far stronger than Lu Chen was now.

If he made a move, he would be the one to die.

"Strength..."

Lu Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil inside him.

This world was too cruel.

Treasures stirred men's hearts, but without the strength to protect them, they were nothing but death warrants.

That little beggar's fate was the best lesson.

Lu Chen collected his wages. This time, he didn't buy pig offal. Instead, he bought a catty of fatty-and-lean streaky pork.

Spurred on by what he'd witnessed, he decided to be ruthless with himself.

Money could be earned again; raising his strength was the real priority.

Back in the courtyard, after eating the meat, Lu Chen went to his usual spot.

Tonight, he was going to break through his bottleneck.

On the panel, the progress of Stone Crushing Palm had reached (1st Realm: Glimpse of the Door 99%).

Just one step away.

Lu Chen stood before the stone mill, his expression solemn.

He regulated his breathing, syncing his heartbeat with a certain rhythm, and his muscles began to pulse in a controlled cadence.

With a low shout, his right palm slammed down.

This strike was no longer pure brute force—it carried a vibrating, penetrating energy.

Boom!!!

A dull thunderclap, as if something had shattered.

Not the stone mill, but some kind of shackle within Lu Chen's body.

A surge of warm energy exploded from his palm, rushing back through the meridians of his arm and into his body, baptizing his skin and muscles.

Lu Chen felt a tingling numbness spread through him, followed by an indescribable comfort.

The rough skin of his palms shed its old calluses, and the new skin beneath looked delicate but was in fact incredibly tough.

He looked at the panel.

Code
[Name: Lu Chen]

[Martial Art: Stone Crushing Palm (2nd Realm: Entering the Hall 1%)]

[Special Trait: Iron Skin (Basic, skin and membrane tough, can resist blunt strikes)]

Lu Chen stared at his own palm, a sharp light blazing in his eyes.

Finally, he had broken through!

He casually picked up a fist-sized blue brick and squeezed with five fingers.

Crack!

The hard brick crumbled into powder in his hand, sifting down in a fine stream.

"So this is the Entering the Hall level of Stone Crushing Palm..."

A smirk curled at the corner of Lu Chen's mouth.

If he ran into that hundred-catty sack of rice now, he could probably lift it with one hand like grabbing a chick.

More importantly, with this layer of "Iron Skin," he finally had a sliver of capital to protect himself in this chaotic world.