Breakthrough Bone Refining! Three Powers Gather!

Gulugulu~

A frantic sound of chugging and gulping echoed from the room.

The rich aroma of medicinal herbs kept seeping out through the cracks in the door.

Inside the room.

Fang Hong was clutching two jars of All-Inclusive Great Tonic Soup, madly pouring them into his mouth.

Even though the soup was still scalding hot.

Fang Hong showed no sign of discomfort.

And compared to when he first started training that morning, his physique had changed drastically.

His height had shot up to nearly 1.8 meters.

His muscles had bulked up a full size, each one looking like it was cast from steel.

He appeared tall, sturdy, and immensely powerful.

Fang Hong kept gulping down the medicinal soup, but his eyes were fixed on the panel before him.

Great Falling Monument Hand: Sixth Layer (0/100)

Great Falling Monument Hand, Sixth Layer!!

A series of crisp cracking sounds came from within his body.

Fang Hong had officially broken through to the Bone Refining realm!

As his muscles and skin membrane surged in strength.

A tingling numbness spread continuously through his bones.

Bones are the body's overall framework and the anchor of its strength.

By breaking through to the Bone Refining realm, with sturdier bones to support him.

The power he could unleash instantly multiplied several times over.

At the same time.

Reaching the sixth layer of Great Falling Monument Hand meant Fang Hong had initially attained the state of Perfected Skill.

Channeling his inner force and triggering the mutation of his hands' flesh, blood, and skin membrane, Fang Hong's palms had almost completely transformed into hideous beast claws.

His thick, massive hands spread open like two palm-leaf fans.

Twisted muscles coiled together like intertwined steel cables.

His nails were hard enough to snap Fang Hong's longsword outright, his fingers as thick as two adult fingers side by side, and his knuckles bulged like ping-pong balls.

His palms were a dark, lusterless black, like old cowhide treated with medicinal solutions—dull, thick, and tough.

They looked nothing like human hands.

But no one would doubt the terrifying power hidden in those monstrous palms.

Fortunately, after entering the Perfected Skill state, his control over his hands had reached an almost frightening level.

As long as he dispersed the inner force stimulating and maintaining the transformation.

Though Fang Hong's hands remained unusually thick and large.

At least they weren't as horrifying as before, looking utterly inhuman.

And Fang Hong believed that once he cultivated Great Falling Monument Hand to the seventh layer, the state of Absolute Mastery.

His hands would likely become much more normal.

Just like with Iron Sand Palm—those who had just achieved initial success had palms that were also abnormal.

Rough, black or crimson, with a foul stench.

But when Iron Sand Palm reached a truly profound level.

The practitioner's hands would instead become more elegant than an ordinary person's, like Ice Skin Jade Body.

Fang Hong believed that after mastering Great Falling Monument Hand.

Even if it didn't reach that level, the result wouldn't be far off.

So, after a short rest to recover his qi and blood, Fang Hong immediately resumed training.

Meanwhile, outside the Xuan Yue Inn.

Several groups had already gathered.

"Gang Leader Wu, why aren't you handling your gang affairs at home? What brings you to the Xuan Yue Inn all of a sudden?"

A middle-aged man in an elegant long gown asked a bearded, muscular man.

"Town Chief, aren't you quite leisurely yourself?"

The bearded muscular man chuckled lightly. "What, I can't take a stroll without reporting to you?"

"Heh, you two, let's just speak plainly."

"Everyone came here for the same reason—that sudden expert who appeared, right?"

At this, the silver-haired old man leaning on a cane between the two of them spoke with a light chuckle.

"Elder Zhou speaks plainly. Town Chief Zhang always talks in riddles—I'm a blunt man and can't follow that."

The bearded man gave a light snort.

Beyond the three, a crowd had gathered to watch.

Inside Xuan Yue Inn, many eyes were fixed on this scene.

Anyone who recognized who these three were wore expressions of surprise.

"Good heavens, what day is it today? All three big shots showed up together."

Someone in the onlooking crowd exclaimed in awe.

"Oh, who are these three? Why is everyone so worked up?"

A traveling merchant unfamiliar with the area asked curiously.

"That scary-looking big guy there is Wu Pengjing, the chief of the Sea Sand Gang, who controls most of the water transport vessels around here."

"That one who looks like a refined scholar is Town Chief Zhang Wenbin—I hear his background is no small thing."

"As for the silver-haired elder in the middle, that's Zhou Chengyuan, the retired head of the most renowned Zhou Family in town."

The local man sized up the traveling merchant.

"Brother, you look like a traveling merchant, right? If you want to ship, buy, or sell goods here, you'll have to watch your step with these three."

"If even one of them takes a dislike to you and throws a wrench in your plans, your business in this town is finished."

"Whew, I see. Thanks for the tip, brother!"

"Don't mention it."

Hearing the local man's explanation, the traveling merchant sucked in a sharp breath, his face filling with astonishment.

A crime lord, a government head, and a local power magnate.

Good heavens.

The forces these three represented could basically cover every aspect of this place.

And now all three powers had gathered here.

How could that not be shocking?

"Why did these three suddenly gather here? Is something big happening?"

"Who knows..."

The surrounding crowd buzzed with chatter.

Meanwhile, Wu Pengjing frowned again as he stared at the inn.

Beside him, the silver-haired elder Zhou Chengyuan's brow twitched slightly.

Only Town Chief Zhang remained clueless.

But then a martial artist in fitted attire whispered a few words in his ear.

Suddenly, his gaze toward the inn carried a hint of surprise.

"Elder Zhou, you've seen a lot—can you tell anything? What's that person's style inside?"

Wu Pengjing asked Zhou Chengyuan in a low voice.

Zhou Chengyuan stroked his long white beard and shook his head.

"Can't tell. Since morning, I've faintly sensed that person's aura fluctuating between weak and strong."

"Though it keeps shifting, it's steadily growing stronger overall."

"At first it was vague, but now it's becoming more and more alarming."

"Based on the aura just now, I'd estimate it's reached the Bone Refining level."

"Inside there," Zhou Chengyuan narrowed his somewhat clouded eyes.

"I suspect it's an expert above Bone Refining practicing some kind of technique."

Hearing Zhou Chengyuan's words, Wu Pengjing nodded.

Then he glanced at the onlookers and frowned again.

"Gentlemen, how about we head inside? There are too many people gathered out here."

"It might displease the person inside."

At that, Zhou Chengyuan also looked around and nodded.

"Gang Leader Wu speaks sense. That's exactly what we should do."

So the three slowly walked into Xuan Yue Inn.

As for the subordinates they brought, they stayed outside to disperse the gathered crowd.