Su Mo Leaves the Village! Zhang Qian Awakens a Special, Powerful Physique and Shines in Anyuan County Town!

Qingliang Mountain, on a mountain trail.

"Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists really are terrifying, especially this wanted Fire Worship Cult heretic. His physical defenses are downright astonishing. Not only could he catch the arrows I fired with his bare hands, but his entire body seemed to have no weak points, radiating an utterly chilling threat."

Su Mo's figure emerged on the mountain trail. He hadn't expected his first battle against a Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artist to shake him so badly. That Fire Worship Cult heretic's strength was simply overwhelming.

He was no match for him.

Seizing a gap in the fight, Su Mo had fled without hesitation. Afraid the heretic might catch up, he hadn't even dared to run in a straight line. Instead, relying on his familiarity with Qingliang Mountain, he had doubled back again and again, weaving through the thickets.

He didn't know why the Fire Worship Cult heretic hadn't pursued him, but after escaping, Su Mo couldn't help drawing deep, gasping breaths.

The Fire Worship Cult heretic, Chou Jinping, had put him under immense pressure. Since beginning his martial training, Su Mo had never encountered a stronger enemy.

Not even close.

"When I threw a punch and hit that heretic's palm, it was like striking a thick iron wall. The tremendous force rebounding from it sent my qi and blood surging into chaos. If my body weren't strong enough, I might not have withstood the backlash."

"That heretic is so powerful that ordinary Martial Artists at the peak of the late Body Tempering Realm probably couldn't withstand even one move."

Su Mo calmed his churning qi and blood. The heretic had clearly cultivated some kind of Mysterious Body Refining Technique, giving him astonishing physical defenses, but Su Mo hadn't been injured in their fight. His own body was no weakling, either.

He guessed that an ordinary Martial Artist at the peak of the late Body Tempering Realm would probably die on the spot after just one move from this Fire Worship Cult heretic.

But Su Mo didn't know that it wasn't only Martial Artists at the peak of the late Body Tempering Realm who would die at the hands of this heretic. Even ordinary Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists couldn't withstand him; they would be killed instantly.

That was right. Even ordinary Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists would be killed in an instant by the already badly wounded Fire Worship Cult heretic, Chou Jinping.

As a special member of the Fire Worship Cult, Chou Jinping was terrifyingly powerful. He had first been besieged by several top experts of the Meridian Opening Realm, then flown into a rage and killed several government officials who were also in that realm. After that, he had encountered a Tendon Changing Realm expert, whose powerful True Strength had broken through his Mysterious Body Refining Technique.

Otherwise, Chou Jinping could practically have swept through everyone at his level. There was no one in the Meridian Opening Realm who could withstand the Mysterious Body Refining Technique he had cultivated; they would all be torn apart by his terrifying body.

Chou Jinping was no ordinary member of the Fire Worship Cult, either. He was a promising prospect with the potential to become an Altar Master or a Branch Master. He was in a class of his own.

"The Fire Worship Cult is one of the heretical sects in the martial world... I absolutely can't go back into Qingliang Mountain anytime soon."

Su Mo pondered. Li Xian had once told him that the Fire Worship Cult was unlike ordinary major sects. It was an out-and-out demonic cult, one of the great evil sects of the martial world. Its influence swept across numerous cities and prefectures. The cult liked to beguile ordinary people, win them over, and recruit them as followers, frantically spreading its doctrines in an attempt to plunge the people into chaos.

Su Mo knew full well that he was no match for the Fire Worship Cult heretic Chou Jinping. So for the time being, he wouldn't go hunting in Qingliang Mountain again.

He also needed to return and warn Village Chief Yang Baishu and Uncle Chen Shan.

After returning to Shuanglin Village, Su Mo took two Green Wolves to Uncle Chen Shan's home next door. He was heading to Guande Martial Arts School in town, and he wouldn't be back for at least a month, perhaps two.

Uncle Chen Shan's two children, Dabao and Xiaobao, were at the age when they were growing fast. Su Mo worried they might not have enough meat to eat, and he also wanted Uncle Chen Shan to take care of his health, so he brought over two Green Wolves' worth of meat.

"Su Mo, are you going to town to train at the martial arts school again? Take this Green Wolf meat back with you. We haven't even finished the meat you brought last time."

Uncle Chen Shan hadn't expected Su Mo to bring them more meat and hurriedly tried to make him take it back. Su Mo was at the stage of learning martial arts when expenses were high, and besides, they still hadn't finished the Green Wolf meat he'd brought last time.

But Su Mo wouldn't hear of it. He insisted Uncle Chen Shan keep it, saying it was for the children. Aunt Cui Hua, standing nearby, was deeply touched and couldn't stop praising Su Mo as a good boy.

At the same time, Su Mo told Uncle Chen Shan and the others not to venture deep into Qingliang Mountain unless absolutely necessary. If they went hunting, they should stick to the outskirts, to avoid running into that wanted Fire Worship Cult heretic.

He also informed Village Chief Yang Baishu of the matter and told him to warn the villagers.

On his way home, Su Mo stopped by Grandma Li's house and brought her more than twenty pounds of Green Wolf meat. Grandma Li had helped him out more than once in the past, and her grandson, Li Xian, had helped him many times, too. Li Xian had wanted him to join the Black Eagle Sect.

He had also told Su Mo about Guande Martial Arts School in town, giving him the chance to obtain a Body Tempering Technique and advance his cultivation.

It was fair to say that Li Xian truly regarded Su Mo as a good friend, a good brother.

So Su Mo had never been stingy with Grandma Li, either.

The village elders who had once helped Su Mo also gradually received Green Wolf meat from him.

In the end, Su Mo had killed twelve Green Wolves, but only nine remained. Uncle Chen Shan's family had received two, and the village elders had shared one. What remained was still enough for Su Mo to haul to town and sell, so he could scrape together the tuition to continue training at the martial arts school.

But just as Su Mo was preparing to leave the village...

News arrived from Anyuan County Town.

Zhang Qian, Zhang Hai, Li Goudan, and Chen Mazi of the Black Eagle Sect had become Martial Artists. When the news reached the village, many people were astonished. It had happened far too quickly; most had thought it would take Zhang Qian and the others a long time to become Martial Artists.

But who could have imagined that in just a month, they'd become lofty Martial Artists?

It was said that after becoming a Martial Artist, Zhang Qian had awakened a special physique hidden within her body, unleashing an unimaginable, miraculous talent. The elders and sect master of the Black Eagle Sect had been alarmed by it.

The sect master of the Black Eagle Sect had even declared that Zhang Qian had the potential to become a top-tier powerhouse.

The powerful experts in Anyuan County Town were all major figures of the Blood Changing Realm, but they didn't count as true top-tier powerhouses. The county town's true top-tier powerhouses were at least old monsters of the Condensing Gang Realm.

One could well imagine how highly the Black Eagle Sect valued Zhang Qian. They had even promoted her to a true disciple of the inner sect. Although she was only at the Body Tempering Realm, her treatment was on par with An Yanbing, Xiao Yingkai, and the others at the Meridian Opening Realm.

With her beautiful looks, tall figure, and graceful bearing, Zhang Qian had become a celebrated figure among the younger generation of the Black Eagle Sect, adored and pursued by many disciples.

When Zhang Tieshan and Liu Guihua heard the news, they were thrilled. Qian'er had once said that if she married, it would be to a Martial Artist. But now, it seemed she might one day become a formidable Martial Artist herself.

"Zhang Qian became a Martial Artist, awakened some kind of special, powerful physique, and even became a true disciple of the Black Eagle Sect's inner sect..."

Su Mo also heard the news. That very day, he headed to Qingshan Town.