Lin Hu, Bone Refining Mid-Stage

Lin Family Estate.

Lin Bao clutched his bandaged wrist and entered the courtyard with a gloomy expression.

The moment he stepped through the gate, he ran into a burly young man whose features bore some resemblance to his own.

The young man had the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, eyes bright and piercing, with a sharp aura emanating from his entire body.

He was none other than Lin Bao's elder brother, Lin Hu, ranked second in the Lin Family Inner Hall.

"What happened? Who injured you?"

Lin Hu spotted the wound on Lin Bao's wrist at a glance, and his brows immediately furrowed.

"A Fang Clan brat at Bone Refining Early-Stage! Arrogant as hell!"

Lin Bao said through gritted teeth.

He had completely forgotten—or perhaps had deliberately chosen to ignore—that it was he who had tried to steal the target, triggering the conflict and leading to his injury.

"Someone from the Fang Clan?"

A fierce glint flashed through Lin Hu's eyes. Someone had bullied his own younger brother, and having already seen blood and killed many people, he unconsciously exuded a dangerous Sha Qi.

"What's his name?"

"I don't know his name. I could only tell from his clothes that he was a Fang Clan Inner Hall disciple."

Lin Bao said resentfully.

"What martial art did he use?"

Lin Hu asked.

"The Breeze Sword Art. It has already reached the Mastery Realm."

Lin Bao said with considerable apprehension.

"My realm was slightly higher than his, but his swordsmanship was stronger than my blade techniques. After exchanging several dozen moves, I lost to him."

"The Breeze Sword Art at the Mastery Realm... it must have been Fang Han!"

A sharp light flashed in Lin Hu's eyes. He already knew who had injured Lin Bao.

"Fang Han? That Fang Clan Qilin Child whose fame has soared lately?"

Lin Bao froze. He had heard of this person, but he had never expected the one who had fought him not long ago to be him.

"He reached Bone Refining Early-Stage, and his Breeze Sword Art reached Mastery Realm as well. It could only be him."

Lin Hu snorted coldly, his fists unconsciously clenching.

"Fang Han, you actually dared to injure him. I'll remember this debt."

"Brother, that brat's swordsmanship is strange as hell. You must be careful..."

Lin Bao said anxiously.

"Don't worry."

Lin Hu interrupted him, a trace of pride appearing on his face.

"A Mastery Realm sword art may be powerful, but the gap in realms is not so easily bridged. Besides, I have a feeling that within the next few days at most, I'll be able to break through to Bone Refining Late-Stage."

"Once he leaves Fang Mansion in the future, I'll naturally find a chance to 'spar' with him properly and let him know the price of hurting you."

Carrying eighty taels of reward silver, Fang Han crossed the Fang Clan Courtyard and arrived at Elder Fang Yuan's residence.

Sandalwood incense curled through the courtyard. Elder Fang Yuan sat before a stone table, savoring tea. Seeing Fang Han arrive, he gave a slight nod.

"Elder, Blood Blade Niu Mang has been executed."

Fang Han bowed respectfully.

"Well done."

Elder Fang Yuan said, satisfaction appearing on his face.

"While completing the mission, this disciple had a conflict with a Lin Family disciple named Lin Bao. He tried to seize the mission target first and struck first as well. This disciple had no choice but to fight back and injured him."

Fang Han recounted everything about his conflict with Lin Bao on Drunken Spring Breeze Backstreet.

"When disciples of the Five Great Families travel outside, friction and conflict are unavoidable. So long as no lives are taken and no one's martial arts are crippled, it all falls within what the families tacitly allow."

After hearing this, Elder Fang Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

He took a light sip of tea and continued.

"If the Lin Family pursues this matter, they will only be lowering themselves. You need not take it to heart. Focus on your cultivation."

Fang Han felt reassured. "This disciple understands."

"However."

Elder Fang Yuan cautioned.

"Lin Bao's elder brother, Lin Hu, is not someone to be taken lightly. It is said that he has already entered Bone Refining Late-Stage and ranks second in the Lin Family Inner Hall. His strength cannot be underestimated."

"If he learns of this, he will certainly seek an opportunity to make trouble for you. Be more cautious whenever you go out in the future."

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder. This disciple will keep it in mind."

Fang Han's expression grew slightly grave.

"Go. Cultivate well. Strength is the foundation. Only by becoming strong enough can you fear no one."

Elder Fang Yuan waved his hand and picked up his tea cup again.

Fang Han bowed, then withdrew from the courtyard.

Over the following days, Fang Han threw himself wholeheartedly into cultivation.

The terrifying cultivation efficiency brought by the Eightfold Root Bone Amplification meant that even in the Bone Refining Realm, his progress remained visible to the naked eye.

With every breath, he could feel his blood vitality surging and churning within his body.

Every time he circulated the Crane Stance, he could clearly sense his bones undergoing transformation.

His blood vitality rushed through him like the Yangtze River in flood. With every circulation of his cultivation method, it was as though countless invisible heavy hammers were tempering his bones.

His bone density increased with each passing day, and the strength of his bones rose at an astonishing rate. His entire skeleton seemed to be quietly transforming without a sound.

He could feel himself drawing ever closer to Bone Refining Mid-Stage.

One morning half a month later, Fang Han took out a Blood Vitality Pill and swallowed it as usual.

The instant the medicinal power dissolved, an enormous surge of energy far surpassing anything before erupted within him.

His eightfold Root Bone Talent efficiently transformed that energy into nourishment for tempering his bones. The roar of blood vitality surging through him could faintly be heard in the silent Martial Dao Room.

"Crack... crack..."

Suddenly, a string of fine yet distinct explosive sounds rang out from every bone in Fang Han's body.

At first, it sounded like ice cracking across a frozen surface. Then it became an unceasing volley like beans popping in a pan. Finally, it rang as crisp and deafening as clashing gold and iron.

Fang Han's entire body shook violently. He felt as though the bones throughout his body had been completely shattered and reassembled, and an unprecedented sense of solidity and power filled every corner of his marrow.

The circulation of his blood vitality abruptly accelerated, and the rushing current even carried the sound of wind and thunder.

A faint sheen like white jade emerged over the bones inside his body, as though they had been carved from flawless jade.

"Bone Refining Mid-Stage—success!"

Fang Han slowly withdrew his stance. A gleam seemed to flow through his eyes, shining like stars within the Martial Dao Room.

He lightly clenched his fist, and surging power far beyond Bone Refining Early-Stage immediately burst forth.

He felt that even if an elephant stood before him now, he could kill it with a single punch.

"From Bone Refining Early-Stage to Mid-Stage, it only took one month..."

A look of amazement could not help appearing on Fang Han's face.

During the Tendon Refining stage, he had been able to advance one minor realm each month. Upon reaching the Bone Refining stage, cultivation had become far more difficult, so his pace should have slowed.

Yet the activated Eightfold Root Bone Amplification had shattered that common sense, allowing him to retain the speed of advancing one realm per month.

Even Fang Han himself was shocked by the terrifying effect of the Eightfold Root Bone Amplification.

"Eightfold amplification already has such miraculous effects. If it were sixteenfold..."

A powerful anticipation rose in Fang Han's heart. But when he saw the words "Level Four Amplification requires 10,000 silver" on the System Panel, he could only shake his head helplessly.

Ten thousand taels of silver was no small sum. Even with his current treatment in the Fang Clan, it was absolutely not something he could gather in a short time.

"It's time to test myself at the Martial Dao Stele!"

With his strength greatly improved, Fang Han naturally wanted to challenge the rankings and improve his current treatment.

He pushed open the door to the Martial Dao Room and headed straight for the Martial Dao Stele Courtyard.