News of Chen Yuxu, Great Harvest!

But Chen Yan's attention was fixed solely on his own fist.

He only knew this one punch. His entire life had been this one punch. Whether he lived or died came down to this one punch!

This one punch.

A roar at the green snake, a roar at life itself, a roar at all the disregard and condescension towering over him!

Within the Saint Breaking Realm, an unprecedented blaze of gold light burned, wrapped in a thread of red light, brilliant as a river of stars, surging endlessly and unstoppably toward the Saint Breaking Tree.

The trunk began to shake. Rolling waves of gold light swept across the bark, converging toward that single golden fruit.

Outside.

Above the canopy, Luo Puxin's expression was grave, his brows raised, his body frozen in that instant.

Like a cannonball exploding, a thunderous boom rang out the moment the green snake's body met Chen Yan's right fist.

The massive green serpent, as huge as a dragon, was instantly sent flying, smashing through a thick tree trunk before crashing onto the mountain ground.

A hissing cry rang out.

The killing intent within it stunned Chen Yan.

It gets knocked flying and then flees—what's the problem?

Chen Yan moved even faster, weaving between the tree trunks.

But the next moment...

Like an earthquake, the entire ground shook violently. A pitch-black boulder... a figure in black robes crashed down from above, slamming onto the green snake's head. The rolling Qi Wave struck Chen Yan's back.

Chen Yan felt the ground tremble beneath him and turned back in shock.

It was a tall figure, standing with both feet on the already crushed head of the green snake, locking eyes with Chen Yan.

In that instant just now, this person had stomped the green snake to death!

A martial artist!

The [Town Martial] insignia on the other's shoulder marked him as someone from the Town Martial Division.

This was a martial artist of the Town Martial Division.

So strong—a true expert!

"What's your name?" Luo Puxin looked at Chen Yan. Compared to the snake, he was more interested in Chen Yan.

If everything Chen Yan had shown earlier—fleeing and maneuvering against the Qingju Snake—was worth a seventy out of a hundred, then that punch from Chen Yan just now was enough for Luo Puxin to give a high score of ninety.

In that moment, Chen Yan's power had surged, and the punch he threw carried the skill of a Body Refinement Fist Technique.

And that skill was far from shallow.

Then there was that red light that burst from his fist.

Talent like this—too rare, far too rare in a place like this.

"Chen Yan," Chen Yan answered truthfully.

"How old?"

"Seventeen."

"Still in high school?" Luo Puxin's mouth opened slightly. Not a college student returning home. He stared directly at Chen Yan and asked again:

"You're from Qingshan High?"

"Yeah." Chen Yan nodded, then immediately bowed to Luo Puxin:

"Thank you, Venerable Sir, for saving me."

Chen Yan looked respectfully at the man before him. The gap between himself and the green snake was far smaller than the gap between the green snake and this person.

An instant kill—just replaying it in his mind sent a chill through his heart.

Luo Puxin nodded. Only now did he seriously size up the youth before him, noticing a flash of excitement in the other's eyes, followed by a trace of worry.

"You have companions?" Luo Puxin recalled the scene at the mountaintop, his voice a bit low.

"My dad should be on the mountain too, but I couldn't find him," Chen Yan said quietly.

"Mm." Luo Puxin nodded, thought for a moment, then said:

"I'll take you down the mountain first. After that, I'll help you look for him. What's your dad's name?"

For an ordinary person, he would have sternly scolded them a few times. But this youth's performance today was truly remarkable.

A glimmer of hope rose in Chen Yan's heart, and he immediately spoke:

"My dad's name is Chen Yuxu."

"Mm, Chen Yu..." Luo Puxin nodded, then paused, a strange look flickering in his eyes:

"I really do have some fate with your family today."

He smiled faintly at Chen Yan.

"Your dad didn't go up the mountain. Your sister was in a car accident this morning. Your dad's already gone to the Town Martial Hall in the county."

As his voice fell, Chen Yan's body went rigid. The next instant, it was as if all the pressure and worry had dissipated, and he let out a long breath. But then his eyes snapped wide: "My sister got into a car accident!"

He growled, his face etched with panic.

"It's nothing, just a scrape. But the driver fled the scene. Your sister and dad just went to the Town Martial Hall to fill out some paperwork. They should be back by now."

Luo Puxin patted Chen Yan's shoulder, clearly sensing the sudden release of the pent-up force within the youth's body.

"That's good..." Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and a faint, relieved smile tugged at his lips.

Still, he felt a bit tense inside. After all, if the Town Martial Division caught a villager sneaking into Green Mountain, there would be a fine.

But since Luo Puxin hadn't brought it up, he could only wait.

Luo Puxin had a rough idea why Chen Yan was here. After asking a few questions, it turned out just as he'd guessed.

Chen Yan naturally didn't hide anything. He even mentioned picking a Red-haired Ganoderma.

Lying to a martial artist who had just saved him would be the height of foolishness.

Luo Puxin smiled, his appreciation for Chen Yan growing.

He had misjudged the youth earlier.

A seventeen-year-old willing to risk Green Mountain for his father—that took not only filial piety but courage.

No one would dislike such a person. A youth who would brave the mountain for his father couldn't be a bad person to others.

With that thought, Luo Puxin pointed at the dead snake: "This is a Qingju Snake. On the market, it's worth over ten thousand per catty. Killing this snake—I was the main force, you were the assistant. Tonight, I'll have someone send some to your house. What's your address?"

To him, a piece of snake meat was just a dish, but to a genius like Chen Yan, it was a great favor.

After learning Chen Yan had gone up the mountain for his father, Luo Puxin thought even more highly of him.

Chen Yan was taken aback, a little surprised: "I didn't do much, Venerable Sir..."

"You did help. I, Luo Puxin, won't shortchange you."

Chen Yan knew that even the punch he'd thrown hadn't truly hurt the Qingju Snake.

Luo Puxin had killed it. But faced with Luo Puxin's goodwill, Chen Yan couldn't refuse.

Snake meat worth over ten thousand per catty—it was too important for his family's current situation.

"Chen Yan, you're well-suited for the Body Tempering Path. Your talent in the Qi and Blood Martial Path is even higher than in Body Tempering, but Body Tempering suits you better."

As Luo Puxin spoke, he recalled the punch Chen Yan had thrown earlier. He hadn't expected to encounter such a genius here.

"Huh... huh?" Chen Yan blinked. "My talent in the Qi and Blood Martial Path is high?"

He raised an eyebrow. He had failed his awakening before.

"High..." Luo Puxin nodded. "And not high."

He was about to continue when the walkie-talkie clipped to his waist buzzed. Luo Puxin frowned slightly. "I'll take you down the mountain first. Tonight, I'll have someone bring the snake meat to your house. I'll tell you about the Qi and Blood awakening then."

With that, he grabbed Chen Yan's shoulder.

A Qi Wave exploded around them, and the scenery blurred past. In the blink of an eye, they were outside the mountain.

Luo Puxin clearly had other matters to attend to. Though Chen Yan wanted to ask about the Qi and Blood awakening, he held back.

"I, Chen Yan, will remember today's kindness."

At the foot of the mountain, Chen Yan bowed deeply to Luo Puxin before waving goodbye. Luo Puxin smiled and waved back.

"Country kids are so sincere. Elsewhere, people would think your help was their due."

Luo Puxin sighed, extremely satisfied with Chen Yan's behavior. His heart felt light.

Chen Yan didn't dare go straight home. He was covered in dust and grime. Taking a detour, he arrived at a Clear Water Pool hidden at the foot of Green Mountain.

He jumped into the pool, scrubbing himself and his clothes clean.

Though it was overcast, there was no rain, just oppressive heat. Even if his clothes got soaked, they'd be nearly dry by the time he got back.

Rubbing himself thoroughly, Chen Yan noticed bruises of all sizes on his upper body and shoulders.

He sighed softly. Going back meant he'd inevitably catch an earful.

Fortunately, his family of three had all encountered danger today to varying degrees, but they were safe now.

His sister had also been in a car accident. Chen Yan's heart stirred—he himself had been bedridden for a year after a car accident last year.

This matter... how could it be so coincidental?

Chen Yan shook his head. He would have to ask about this carefully when he got home.

[Saint Breaking Realm: Level 2 (2/15)]

[Saint Breaking Fruit:
Strength: (3/100)
Blood: (12/100)
Skill: (67/100)]

Chen Yan had long noticed the change in his Saint Breaking Realm. When he took that [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, his [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit's progress was only 27/100.

But facing the final punch from the Qingju Snake, the [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit had surged by a full forty percentage points in an instant.

He had broken through his limits several times, and the [Blood] Character Saint Breaking Fruit had also increased by a few points.

That punch of his seemed to have produced a red flash again. Chen Yan frowned. Had he failed his awakening once more?

Could failure happen a second time?

Why did Luo Puxin say he had high talent in the Qi and Blood Martial Path?

"Forget it, I won't think about it for now." Chen Yan washed his clothes in the pool.

Today's harvest was plentiful!

One [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, a massive boost to the [Skill] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, one Red-haired Ganoderma, and the Qingju Snake meat Luo Puxin had promised.

Chen Yuxu and his sister Chen Yu should already be home. Chen Yan didn't wait for his clothes to dry; he put them on and headed back.

"You didn't go to Qingshan?" A surprised voice rang out. Chen Yan followed the sound and saw Hu Zeyuan fishing on the other side of the pool.

"I didn't go to Qingshan. Are you disappointed?" Chen Yan said calmly.

"You?" Hu Zeyuan frowned, anger surfacing in his eyes. "How dare you speak to me like that!"

Chen Yan didn't even turn his head; he simply walked away.

"Why didn't you die in there!" Hu Zeyuan muttered where he stood.

In the past, he would have slapped Chen Yan across the face without hesitation, and even then, Chen Yuxu wouldn't have dared to say anything.

But lately, the two families had fallen out, and their kinship ties were essentially severed.

If he hit him now, Chen Yan would definitely fight back.