Fang Hong had been cultivating all along, while Wu Pengjing and the other two waited in Xuan Yue Inn.
Apart from waiters continuously delivering medicinal soup into the room,
Fang Hong's door remained tightly shut.
The sun set in the west.
Evening had arrived.
Creak~
Only then did Fang Hong's door finally open once more.
Fang Hong, whose appearance had utterly changed, stepped out of the room.
Along with his appearance, an invisible pressure naturally radiated from Fang Hong's body, blanketing the surroundings.
This was because Fang Hong's strength had just broken through.
Moreover, he had no method or secret art for concealing his aura.
Thus, the abundant blood and qi within him mingled with his powerful aura, naturally forming a suffocating pressure.
At this moment, Fang Hong's build had not changed much.
On the contrary, compared with when his Great Falling Monument Hand had been at the sixth level, his body had even shrunk slightly.
Yet the strength of his fleshly body had increased by several degrees.
Though his palms were considerably broader and larger than those of an ordinary person, they were not particularly unusual.
What was even stranger was this.
His hands clearly looked broad and thick, yet upon closer inspection, they carried a hint of delicate, fair refinement.
His somewhat thick fingers possessed an oddly slender beauty.
Great Falling Monument Hand: Perfection
Looking at the panel before him, satisfaction flashed through Fang Hong's eyes.
He had already cultivated Great Falling Monument Hand to one hundred proficiency points at the seventh level—the perfected realm of consummate mastery.
And his realm of strength had naturally broken through to Bone Refinement Minor Success!
How could that not satisfy him?
This round of cultivation had improved his strength to an utterly outrageous extent.
Relying on the heaven-defying effects of the Golden Finger, along with an unceasing supply of medicinal soup,
in merely a little over half a day,
his strength had leapt directly from Flesh Refinement Mastery to Bone Refinement Minor Success!
Crossing one major realm and several minor realms!
And at that moment,
seeing that Fang Hong had finally finished cultivating and emerged from his room,
Wu Pengjing and the other two hurried forward.
"Wu Pengjing, Zhou Chengyuan, and Zhang Wenbin greet you, sir!"
All three greeted him with great respect.
Due to the cultivation technique Fang Hong practiced, his body had become exceptionally tall and burly.
Coupled with his resolute features and mature gaze, without the slightest trace of a youth's immaturity,
none of them knew Fang Hong was still a teenager in his mid-teens, and all addressed him as sir.
Moreover, their words carried a trace of unease and nervousness.
It was not that they lacked composure.
Aside from Town Chief Zhang, who only knew a little martial arts, both Wu Pengjing and Zhou Chengyuan had reached Skin Refining Mastery.
The truth was that the pressure surrounding Fang Hong was simply too powerful, leaving them no choice but to feel uneasy.
At this moment, the other guests inside Xuan Yue Inn who witnessed this scene all revealed shocked expressions.
"Elder Zhou and the others waited so long just for this man? Who exactly is this young man?"
"Gang Leader Wu and the other two waited an entire afternoon for this young man?"
"He does seem extraordinary, tall and imposing enough to inspire awe at first sight, but surely not enough for all three of them to greet him together?"
"Could he be the descendant of some great figure?"
The guests in Xuan Yue Inn who had been watching the three of them all whispered among themselves.
Their gazes toward Fang Hong were filled with curiosity and bewilderment.
"Who are you people? What do you want with me?"
Fang Hong also looked at the three respectful men before him with some confusion.
He did not think they had come because Scholar He's entire family had been killed.
Though he did not yet know enough about this world,
he could tell that these three carried themselves with distinction, and the clothes they wore were no ordinary goods.
People like them would not seek him out over a moderately prosperous small landowner.
And if they had come to cause trouble, how could they possibly speak to him with such respect?
"May I ask your honored surname, sir? Could we speak somewhere private?"
Upon hearing Fang Hong's question, Zhou Chengyuan, the oldest of the three, asked respectfully.
"My surname is Fang. We can talk."
After looking the three over once more, Fang Hong replied, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.
Judging by their attitude, they were not here to cause trouble.
And since they were being so respectful, they most likely wanted his help with something.
If so, that was perfect.
He currently needed people of considerable status to help him learn more about this world.
Especially news concerning Martial Dao Sects.
Although he had long decided to join a Martial Dao Sect,
in truth, he was still completely in the dark about them, utterly clueless.
He did not even know where there were sects, or which Martial Dao Sects would be taking disciples soon.
These three were well dressed and evidently held no low status, so they should know such information.
Upon hearing Fang Hong's answer, all three men's eyes lit up, and delighted smiles crossed their faces.
"Sir Fang, this way, please!"
Zhou Chengyuan invited him respectfully, excitement in his voice.
Fang Hong then followed the three into a private room.
Before entering, Zhou Chengyuan specifically had the attendants dismissed, cleared out the rooms on either side, and ordered that no one be allowed near.
Afterward, the group began talking in the private room.
More than ten minutes later.
Inside the private room, Fang Hong sat in the seat of honor, his eyes narrowed as he wore a contemplative expression.
Tap, tap, tap~~
Fang Hong lightly tapped his fingers against the table, muttering under his breath.
"Water Origin Cave..."
At first, Fang Hong had not known what sort of place it was.
Only after the three explained did he roughly understand.
Every river, lake, and waterway was formed because of underground water veins.
Every water vein had many nodes, and caves formed at those nodes were called Water Origin Caves.
Because they lay atop the nodes of water veins, the spiritual energy within Water Origin Caves was incomparably dense.
Not only was the cave itself an extraordinary cultivation treasure ground,
but its abundant spiritual energy also meant that all kinds of heavenly treasures and earthly herbs usually grew within.
This time, the Sea Sand Gang, which controlled much of the shipping along the surrounding Fen River tributaries, had discovered a Water Origin Cave somewhere along a nearby Fen River tributary.
It had originally been discovered only by members of the Sea Sand Gang, and after Wu Pengjing learned of it, he intended to conceal the news and swallow the treasure ground for himself.
But the three factions had all developed in this area for many years.
They had long since infiltrated one another.
So even though Wu Pengjing had immediately ordered that the news be sealed,
Zhou Chengyuan and Zhang Wenbin still learned of the Water Origin Cave.
How could they let Wu Pengjing swallow such a treasure ground alone? They immediately wanted a share as well.
The problem was that they had previously organized men and attempted to enter the Water Origin Cave.
However, a Great Python at the Bone Refinement level was entrenched within the Water Origin Cave.
They were no match for the Great Python at all and could only retreat helplessly.
What made matters worse was that their attempt had been discovered by several nearby forces.
Although the precise details of the Water Origin Cave had not yet been leaked,
those forces already knew they had discovered a treasure in this place and had not managed to obtain it immediately.
According to the reports sent back by their people, those forces had already dispatched people here.
That was why they were in such a hurry.
When they sensed that an expert suspected to be at the Bone Refinement level had appeared in town,
they had immediately rushed over in immense delight.
What the three asked was for Fang Hong to lead them into the Water Origin Cave.
And to help them deal with that Bone Refinement-level Great Python.
After listening to them, Fang Hong pondered for a while before finally turning his gaze toward the three.
Seeing Fang Hong look at them, the three immediately straightened their expressions.
They knew the key to whether the matter of the Water Origin Cave could succeed had arrived.
Fang Hong looked calmly at the three, then raised two fingers.
"Two questions."
"First, what Bone Refinement level is that Great Python specifically at?"
"Second," Fang Hong said calmly.
"What benefits can I get?"
Before you continue