Proactive Attack, Hidden Ambush

This night raid on Green Ridge Stronghold sent so many elite soldiers and fierce generals, yet all were lost.

Logically, they wouldn't dare covet the mining grounds for a long time now.

As the person in charge of the mining grounds, Fang Zheng's greatest merit was ensuring stability here.

"I won't reassign the mining ground personnel. Just let the clan disciples follow me for training," Fang Yuan said.

Fang Zheng quickly replied, "Young Master, what are you saying? Whatever you command, I'll follow."

The mining ground tasks issued by the clan—earning rewards and contribution points—depended mainly on the number of bandits killed.

After getting detailed intelligence on Green Ridge Stronghold from Fang Zheng, Fang Yuan had someone summon Fang Man.

"Last night, I killed seven bandits. That was satisfying," Fang Man said with a grin as he entered.

"Too bad I didn't run into the ones who hurt me. I'd have chopped off their limbs and hung them from a tree."

Fang Man sounded a bit unsatisfied, tinged with regret.

"Don't worry, you'll have your chance to stretch your limbs," Fang Yuan said with a smile.

Fang Man's eyes lit up, knowing he must have a plan, and eagerly asked about it.

"Simple. We'll set up an ambush right where the bandits often roam—block their doorstep."

Block their doorstep!

Fang Man was thrilled; this idea hit the mark for him.

"First, let the clan disciples rest. After noon, we'll set out with me."

Fang Man smiled and acknowledged.

By noon.

Fang Yuan's Heavenly Origin Earth Realm talent manifested. Source Point "+1"

Add point!

The familiar process. Fang Yuan sat cross-legged in his room, consciousness sinking. Dozens of rumbles erupted from within his body, bones cracking sharply.

[You have cultivated for a year. The true qi swirling around the Dan Pillar has risen to nine layers and overflowed. True qi has burst through fifty-nine acupoints in your body. Your cultivation has not made a substantive breakthrough and remains at the Ninth Layer of Innate Realm.]

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he gradually calmed his body's condition.

"My cultivation hasn't broken through, but my overall strength has more than doubled!"

The step from Innate to Foundation Establishment is a major threshold—a qualitative leap in life's level, not easy to achieve.

Fang Yuan still remembered that the fastest age to break through to Foundation Establishment in Flowing Cloud County was forty-nine!

And he was recognized in Clear Sea City as the one most likely to break that record.

The first step from Innate to Foundation Establishment requires opening one hundred and eight acupoints to store more true qi within the body.

When all acupoints are opened, true qi becomes a unified whole, resonating and echoing each other, granting immense power in every move.

Fang Yuan adjusted his state, ate the lunch Fang Zheng had carefully prepared, and gathered the disciples together.

"I'm now taking the initiative to suppress bandits on Falling Mist Mountain. If any of you want to back out, you can leave now."

"This operation means facing vicious, ruthless bandits head-on, with no protection from elders. You could die at any moment."

Fang Yuan laid out the stakes clearly; their choice was up to them.

Many clan disciples had been raised in a greenhouse; few had truly fought for their lives against others.

And now they faced the Green Ridge Stronghold bandits, infamous for their brutality—every one of them had over a dozen lives on their hands.

After an inner struggle, not a single disciple chose to withdraw.

"We are willing to follow the Young Master into the mountains to kill bandits!"

Fang Yuan was satisfied with the disciples' attitude. Lacking life-and-death experience was fine, but they couldn't lack fighting spirit.

What he didn't know, though, was that the disciples' decision was largely influenced by him.

From the county city to the mining grounds, Fang Yuan had already built high prestige among the disciples, and last night he descended like a god of slaughter.

Soon, the group set out.

Fang Yuan decided to test the waters first, setting up an ambush where the Green Ridge Stronghold bandits often roamed.

"If only I could run into all ten-plus Innate Realm chieftains of Green Ridge Stronghold at once," Fang Yuan mused.

If outsiders knew Fang Yuan's thoughts, they'd surely call him crazy.

The top chieftains of Green Ridge Stronghold were all at the Ninth Layer of Innate Realm, and some had opened over a hundred acupoints.

With such a lineup, an ordinary Ninth Layer Innate would be dead for sure—only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could stand against them.

Time flew by.

After waiting over an hour, the group still saw no sign of bandits. Some were gradually losing patience.

"Keep waiting."

Another hour passed.

They didn't encounter the bandits of Green Ridge Stronghold, but instead ran into a passing caravan of merchants, wagons laden with goods.

"Those look like people from the Shi Family," a disciple said, recognizing the clothes they wore.

The Shi Family wasn't one of the three great clans of the county seat, but they were a major family second only to them.

"This makes us look like we're the ones holding up the road."

Just then.

Three or five burly men wielding sharp blades emerged from the thicket, blocking the Shi Family's caravan.

"This road was opened by me, this tree was planted by me, if you want to pass—"

A scrawny, smaller man hadn't even finished his line before the leading burly man smacked him on the head.

"Cut the fancy talk, you're wasting time."

The leading man had a scar across his face. He drove his greatsword into the ground and swept a cold gaze over the Shi Family crowd.

"We're from Green Ridge Stronghold. Leave the goods and the women behind. The rest of you can scram."

With that, Scarface unleashed the aura of the seventh layer of the Xiantian realm, clearly one of the stronghold's chiefs.

"Bold as hell."

An old man stepped forward from the Shi Family side, his face flushed with anger. "Do you know who we are?"

Scarface spat a wad of phlegm, grabbed his greatsword, and with a backhand swing, lopped the old man's head off, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"I don't give a damn who you are."

He swept a domineering look over the rest of the Shi Family. "None of you are leaving today."

The brutal savagery of Green Ridge Stronghold's bandits stunned some of the Fang Family disciples, who were green behind the ears.

"This is trouble."

Though these Fang disciples hadn't broken through to Xiantian yet, they had enough insight to sense that the man before them could match their family's powerful stewards.

"Brother Yuan, those two bandits over there were part of the group that surrounded me. If they hadn't ambushed me, I'd have taken them out," Fang Man said indignantly.

"Don't worry. Not a single one of them is getting away," Fang Yuan replied calmly.

His words infected the family disciples behind him, boosting their confidence.

"I've always heard the bandits of Green Ridge Stronghold were arrogant. Seeing is truly believing."

The Shi Family side was even more panicked. Only the leading steward, at the sixth layer of Xiantian, could barely keep his composure.

He'd tried to throw the Shi Family name around to intimidate them, but they didn't give a damn—they just swung their blades and cut him down, leaving him gravely wounded in no time.

"Move out!"

Just as the Shi Family was about to suffer harm, Fang Yuan and his group emerged from the forest, encircling the bandits in turn.

"Who the hell are you?"

Scarface's eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly suppressed it.

They were the ones who usually set up ambushes and robbed people—now someone was ambushing them?

Judging by their clothes, they weren't fellow bandits either.

"I'm your daddy."

Fang Man was bold by nature. He trusted Fang Yuan's strength almost unconditionally and wasn't afraid in the slightest.

"You little bastard, I'm going to chop you up and eat you with my wine today."

One of the Green Ridge bandits recognized Fang Man and muttered, "Seventh Chief, they should be from the Fang Family."

"I don't care who they are. They all die today."

Scarface charged forward with his greatsword, true qi surging through his body. He took long strides, aiming to cleave Fang Man in two.

Fang Yuan's expression was indifferent. A longsword materialized in his hand, and with Phantom Step, he was in front of Scarface in an instant.

"What?!"

Scarface's pupils dilated. He clearly hadn't expected such a young expert on the opposing side. He hurriedly pulled his sword back to block.

Clang, clang...

But his resistance only prolonged his death by a few moments.

The true qi longsword struck the greatsword with a crisp ring, shaking Scarface's tiger's mouth until it split, nearly making him lose his grip.

Just as he thought Fang Yuan's right-hand true qi sword had shattered and he could counterattack—

The sword in Fang Yuan's left hand pierced straight through his heart. Blood gushed out, stark and glaring.

He clutched his chest tightly, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. In the end, his eyes wide open, he collapsed...

Seventh layer of Xiantian—fallen.