168,000 Jin

At dawn, mist curled through the mountains and woods, shrouding everything in a haze. A streak of red appeared over the mountaintops as the sun broke free, spilling warm light across the land and tinting the morning fog pale gold with flowing rays.

The still lake rippled in the breeze. Golden Dragon-Beard Fish leaped from the water, glimmering with brilliant light.

A figure sat cross-legged above the surface of the lake without sinking. His whole body shone, wisps of Divine Radiance flickering from within. One after another, crystalline, brilliant patterns appeared across his skin.

The essence of heaven and earth flowed into his body, nourishing his organs and flesh. He looked clear and crystalline, his vital essence surging like a great river, as if turning the celestial cycles.

Bai Yixin sat with his eyes closed, streams of light swirling around him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and all the radiance drew inward. He was crystal-clear, as if carved from a piece of warm jade.

In the lake, a school of golden fish thrashed their tails and sank quickly to the bottom.

"168,000 jin. Looks like this is the limit I can reach for now."

After weathering the lightning tribulation, Bai Yixin had finally completed his transformation. From that moment on, he had stepped into the extraordinary.

"About time I went back, before they worry too much and think I'm dead."

With his long hair draped over his shoulders, Bai Yixin had grown a little more. He was a head taller than before, less childish and more refined, with an otherworldly air about him.

He seemed like an immortal, not a mortal man.

Outside Stone Village, a group of children spotted a transformed figure. They stared in disbelief, shouting as they rushed over to surround him.

"Little Bai, Little Bai's back!"

"Oh, Little Bai, you're finally back! The whole clan was worried sick. You've been gone for more than thirty days without a word!"

"Little Bai, you've gotten even paler. And you seem... a lot taller?"

The children crowded around him, all overjoyed to see him. They didn't care that they were filthy; they threw their arms around Bai Yixin's shoulders and neck, chattering excitedly.

"Sorry for making you worry. I happened to seize the chance to break through that day, and before I could get back to the village, I fell into an even deeper transformation. I'm sorry!"

Bai Yixin spoke with an apologetic smile.

The adults were startled too, and hurried out, all of them deeply moved.

"Wonderful, child! You're finally back." Even the usually steady clan chief's voice trembled. He had been terribly worried all this time, afraid they would find Bai Yixin's remains somewhere out in the wild.

"Grandpa Clan Chief, I found this medicinal liquid in a cave. I tried it, and it seems to work wonders on injuries and hidden wounds."

Bai Yixin greeted every villager with a smile. As for why he had been gone for a month, he had already made up an airtight story.

The story was simple: on his way back, he had stumbled upon a cave in the wilderness. It might have been a relic left behind by an ancient ancestor. Inside, he had found some treasures and taken the opportunity to undergo a transformation.

That explained why he had changed so much, and gave him an excuse to offer the villagers of Stone Village a few things to help them.

Looking at the people who had worried about him, Bai Yixin felt warm inside. It was a warmth he had rarely felt in his previous life.

"Grandpa Clan Chief, where's Little One?"

"Little One's still over by the waterfall, tempering his body. He only left about two hours ago."

"Mm-hmm. Grandpa Clan Chief, remember to use the medicine. I'm going to see the Willow Deity first."

After chatting with the villagers for a while, Bai Yixin said.

"I'll go with you. I'm curious to see what you've accomplished."

Shi Yunfeng said with a smile.

"So are we!" the others shouted.

"Then let's go together," Bai Yixin said with a smile.

"Willow Deity, I can bring my physical training to a close now."

Bai Yixin brought a huge crowd to the village entrance and gazed up at the charred willow tree as he spoke.

"What have you accomplished?" the Willow Deity asked.

"Just a moment."

With that, Bai Yixin went just outside the village and soon carried back a boulder weighing over 50,000 jin. He walked to the lakeside, placed it atop another boulder weighing over 100,000 jin, then lifted the whole thing with one hand as before.

The sight shook everyone along the lake shore. The children, the adults, even the rare birds and beasts were all stunned.

Good heavens, what kind of strength was this? He had lifted a boulder weighing more than 150,000 jin with one hand. It was simply too shocking—something unheard of, even in legend!

Then Bai Yixin switched to his other hand and lifted the 150,000-jin boulder just as easily.

A layer of light now enveloped his body: the Blood-Qi Protective Aura his flesh had generated on its own. It also marked the level his physical cultivation had reached.

At that very moment, this was the sign of an extreme in the Blood-Moving Realm.

Even the Willow Deity fell silent, not answering right away.

No one had ever been able to move the 100,000-jin boulder. It had only been used to dry meat and beast skins, yet now Bai Yixin had lifted it with ease.

More terrifying still, Bai Yixin had added another boulder weighing over 50,000 jin on top.

"Your arm can raise 168,000 jin. You've done very well—far beyond my expectations!" the Willow Deity sent in a voice transmission. From the sound of it, even she was greatly astonished.

Forget humans—even the strongest young Golden-Winged Peng or True Hou couldn't manage this in their youth. Bai Yixin had made history. He hadn't merely reached the limits of the Blood-Moving Realm; he had taken a mighty step beyond them!

The Willow Deity marveled at him. This little fellow changed by the day, his potential seemingly boundless. He was even stronger than she had imagined!

Bai Yixin himself had been astonished. He hadn't expected that, after switching to the Nine-Turn Heavenly Art and tempering his body with heavenly lightning, his flesh would transform and grow so much stronger.

"Whoa! Little Bai, how did you do that?!"

The children surrounded Little One, stunned and thrilled, chattering away.

The adults were dumbfounded too. He was just a child, yet he had become so powerful—it was hard to believe.

"Little Bai, what do you think of our Da Niu?" A group of aunties joined in, eager to stir things up.

Only much later did everyone disperse.

"Willow Deity, can I start cultivating the Original True Interpretation now?"

Bai Yixin stretched his body, feeling quite pleased after showing off a little.

"You can," the Willow Deity replied firmly.

"Study it carefully yourself. This ancient book is earth-shattering; it must not be shown to others casually."

"Mm!" Bai Yixin nodded.

He might have understood the Original True Interpretation even better than the Willow Deity did.

The Original True Interpretation had been created by the Corpse Immortal Emperor. This cultivation method was divided into three parts: the God-Guiding Chapter, the Transcendence Chapter, and the Ultimate Chapter. It was a supreme cultivation method.

Bai Yixin now held the first part, the God-Guiding Chapter, which was meant to be comprehended and cultivated in the human realm.

Cultivating it would give Bai Yixin an incomparably solid foundation in the Perfect Method.