Gourd Gorge's Big Stage—If You've Got Nothing to Show, Don't Come

Liu Yunche tore off a piece of Fire Ganoderma, placed it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it, sensing the medicinal power within.

The next instant, he felt a surging force rise from his abdomen. It was as though a crimson flame had been born inside him, burning away every impurity and stain.

Liu Yunche devoured the rest of the Fire Ganoderma as though starving.

In an instant, the flames swelled, seeming to transform into a blazing red sun. Liu Yunche felt the temperature rise through his limbs and bones. His flesh began to glow, and faint black vapor wafted out beneath that radiance.

The pores across his body relaxed, while the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones within him seemed to cheer, greedily devouring the medicinal power produced by the Fire Ganoderma.

Half an hour later, Liu Yunche slowly opened his eyes, brimming with vigor.

The skin and flesh all over his body had become more compact, the scale-like patterns beneath his skin denser and more refined, while the iron-colored sheen had grown ever deeper. His skin had taken a great step toward Silver Skin.

Though he had yet to formally begin Flesh Tempering, his muscles had already undergone partial tempering. Not only had his physique strengthened, but he would also save considerable time at the Flesh Tempering level.

After carefully examining the changes in himself, he found that his overall strength had not improved by much.

Yet what delighted him was that the inner breath generated by the Nurturing Origin Stance's autonomous circulation had increased.

Joy rose in Liu Yunche's heart. "As expected, it improved my natural aptitude."

Moreover, this method of improvement was unlike the rumors, where vast amounts of impurities were expelled through one's pores, leaving martial artists drenched in foul black sweat.

At this moment, he only felt refreshed and clear-headed, his entire body much lighter.

At this moment, Shi Qingyue sat upright at the cave entrance, his gaze alert. Hearing footsteps from behind him, the tension in his heart abruptly eased.

He turned back and saw Liu Yunche walking out of the cave at an unhurried pace. Clad in tiger skin, he had lost a trace of the forest overlord's majesty and gained a trace of calm detachment.

Shi Qingyue was genuinely happy for his brother.

He smiled. "In a while, it'll be your turn to keep watch."

Liu Yunche's eyes filled with amusement. He nodded and teased, "Qingyue, just rest. I won't let demon beasts sneak up on you from behind."

Shi Qingyue froze at those words, then suddenly understood. He raised his fist and laughed as he cursed, "Screw you. That move of mine that specializes in the rear gate is an unorthodox trump card."

"Ordinary people aren't fortunate enough to enjoy it."

For a time, laughter echoed continuously through the cave.

Early the next morning, the two rose at dawn.

One was dressed like a savage, while the other was huddled beneath a tiger skin, looking every bit like a tiny tiger lord.

"Today, we should find He Wu and the other two as soon as possible, so we can make plans early," Shi Qingyue said calmly.

The two ran through the mountain forest one before the other.

Half an hour later, Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue were resting atop a tree.

Suddenly, two martial artists passed by below the road, speaking in low voices.

"Brother Zhao, hurry and keep up. A mutant demon beast cub has appeared ahead. Quite a few people have already gone over, so let's join the excitement too."

Brother Zhao immediately picked up his pace and followed.

"A mutant demon beast cub?"

Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue exchanged a glance, each seeing surprise and suspicion in the other's eyes.

"Perhaps it's another demon beast lured out by Demon-Luring Incense," Liu Yunche speculated.

"Yunche, let's go take a look too. He Wu and the others might be there."

Liu Yunche nodded in agreement, and the two trailed behind those martial artists.

The sudden appearance of this mutant demon beast cub made Liu Yunche feel a thread of vigilance.

"The mountain bandits have methods to lure demon beasts. If..."

Liu Yunche quietly buried that thought deep in his heart. He had never forgotten the threat from Blackwind Stronghold.

As they traveled onward, martial artists also came rushing in from various directions. Everyone was heading toward the same place, and Shi Qingyue knew several of them.

When those people caught sight of Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue's attire, a trace of surprise flashed through their eyes. Still, they merely nodded slightly in greeting.

At last, the group rushed out of the forest, and a gorge appeared before them.

The gorge was not large, resembling a gourd lying on the ground. This place was thus known as Gourd Gorge.

By the time Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue arrived, the surroundings were already bustling beyond compare.

At the middle section of Gourd Gorge, Liu Tianlin of the Liu Household, He Chaoyang of the He Clan, and Tao Xiaoyun of the Tao Clan stood in confrontation.

Quite a few martial artists from martial arts halls stood quietly in the corners. The Flying Bear Martial Arts Hall, with whom Liu Yunche had crossed paths before, was among them.

When Han Xu saw Liu Yunche arrive, the hand gripping his blade unconsciously tightened, and excitement flashed through his eyes.

He was about to step forward when Li Youchen grabbed his shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.

Han Xu nodded slightly. Gone was his usual temper; he had become much steadier. He restrained himself and stood quietly beside Li Youchen.

Some independent martial artists had each found a corner to remain in, though most stayed close to Gourd Gorge's entrance and exit.

Liu Yunche's gaze paused briefly on the Golden Radiance Lion beneath Tao Xiaoyun, then passed over them and landed upon the demon beast cub beneath a massive boulder.

Its entire body was crimson. It resembled a canine but had three tails. It appeared injured and unable to move, baring its fangs at the crowd.

"This is..." Liu Yunche hesitated. He had never seen such a strange beast before.

"This is a Red Dog Zheng. Rumor has it that it possesses a trace of the bloodline of the ancient demon beast Zheng."

Shi Qingyue introduced it.

The Red Dog Zheng's nostrils twitched, as though it had caught some scent. It slightly turned its head and looked toward Liu Yunche.

Liu Yunche's heart tightened. He quietly took the Demon-Luring Incense from his robes and, while no one else was paying attention, hid it within a nearby rock crevice.

As time passed, martial artists continued arriving through the entrance.

Seeing more and more martial artists gather here, Tao Xiaoyun was the first to break the silence.

"You two, how should we divide this Red Dog Zheng? Why don't we first settle on some rules?"

He Chaoyang laughed loudly, his red robe snapping fiercely in the mountain wind.

"This cub is crimson from head to toe. It is clearly fated to be mine, so it should naturally belong to me."

Tao Xiaoyun's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She had intended to establish some rules first, lest everyone start fighting and someone fish in troubled waters.

She had not expected to encounter an arrogant, reckless brute like He Chaoyang.

Liu Tianlin, standing nearby, sneered. "Brother He, your words are truly amusing. Why not become an actor? It would not waste that talent of yours."

Without waiting for He Chaoyang to flare up, he continued.

"If we follow Brother He's reasoning, then since I am wearing brown today, would this entire land not be fated to be mine?"

"Everything produced by these mountains and forests should all fall into my hands."

He Chaoyang gave a sharp shout, his brows and eyes brimming with provocation. "Fine! Since Brother Liu has objections, why don't we settle it with our hands?"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Chaoyang raised his fist, ready to strike.

"Enough!"

A sharp cry rang out. Tao Xiaoyun sat atop the Golden Radiance Lion, her face cold.

Yet He Chaoyang was arrogant by nature and did not buy it. He said blandly, "What, does Miss Tao wish to first sample my fist technique?"

Tao Xiaoyun was furious. She truly could not understand how, among the three great Lineages, the He Clan had produced such a bastard!

She turned and smiled at Liu Tianlin. "Brother Liu, why don't you and I join hands to sweep this man out first, then decide who gets the cub?"

Liu Tianlin laughed heartily. "Good! Little sister Tao has spoken straight to my heart."

"He Chaoyang, will you withdraw on your own, or shall we beat you severely wounded before you withdraw?"

He Chaoyang narrowed his eyes and said nothing. Yet the He Clan martial artists behind him had already gone pale, looking anxiously at him.

He Chaoyang impatiently waved them away, then ignored the He Clan members.

He stepped forward, a trace of excitement in his eyes, and roared, "Fine! Let me see what you two are capable of."

As his voice fell, he shot forward. His red robe streaked directly toward Liu Tianlin.

Liu Tianlin snorted coldly. In his view, He Chaoyang was looking down on him.

Fearless, both his palms instantly turned iron-colored as he rushed straight at He Chaoyang. At the side, Tao Xiaoyun planted one foot on the Golden Radiance Lion's head and sprang forth as well.

The next instant, fists and palms collided.

The sound was like iron weapons crashing violently together, instantly resounding throughout Gourd Gorge.

All three were Iron Muscle martial artists. No one present possessed a higher cultivation level.

After merely a few exchanges of words, they had already come to blows. The other martial artists in the gorge watched silently.

They had only come to join the excitement. They did not dare truly snatch the cub from the hands of the three great Lineages.

In a two-against-one situation, He Chaoyang was like a madman driven wild. His eyes carried a calm fury as he attacked without defending, wholly disregarding the fists and kicks landing on him.

For a time, he actually suppressed the attacks of the other two.

Liu Tianlin did not care. His hands never stopped moving, and each wave carried fierce palm wind.

"Let's see how long you can endure."

Though Tao Xiaoyun was a woman, her temperament was fierce. Her fist technique was extraordinarily heavy. Whenever Liu Tianlin caught He Chaoyang's attack, she would strike He Chaoyang from the side.

After only dozens of exchanges, that red robe had become tattered beyond recognition.

However, Liu Tianlin was not having an easy time either. He had taken a punch from He Chaoyang squarely in the chest, and it was now throbbing with pain.

One of Tao Xiaoyun's arms hung limply at her side, unable to exert strength for the time being. He Chaoyang had seized an opening and injured it with a punch.

Suddenly, the two joined forces and blasted He Chaoyang back several yards. Liu Tianlin said flatly, "Brother He, are you still not withdrawing?"

A trace of blood seeped from He Chaoyang's mouth. His left hand clutched his chest, his body swayed, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. He had clearly injured his internal organs.

Just then, the situation in the arena changed abruptly.

A figure nearly blending into the environment flashed past. With speed too swift to cover one's ears, he snatched up the cub and ran outward without looking back.

"Bold bastard!" Liu Tianlin and Tao Xiaoyun shouted in anger almost at the same time.

Liu Tianlin no longer spared He Chaoyang a glance and immediately gave chase.

Tao Xiaoyun shouted, "Stop him!"

The people from the three great Lineages moved almost simultaneously. Quite a few independent martial artists seemed to spot an opportunity and quietly began moving as well.

Shi Qingyue remarked, "This person truly has enormous nerve, and he's decisive enough."

Watching the figure evade the pursuit of numerous martial artists, Liu Yunche added, "And his movement technique is agile, beyond that of ordinary martial artists."

Of course, he still isn't as good as me. Liu Yunche did not say those words aloud; the thought merely flickered through his mind.

The man was just about to rush out of Gourd Gorge. Once he slipped into the mountain forest, finding him would become even harder with that camouflage of his that nearly blended him into the environment.

He also knew that once he escaped Gourd Gorge, he would be like a fish entering the sea, a bird soaring into the heavens, with a broad open road ahead.

As he looked at the exit so close before him, delight and longing appeared in his eyes. If he sold this demon beast cub somewhere else, he could exchange it for a batch of martial training resources, and his martial path would hold great promise.

Suddenly, the sound of "Woof! Woof! Woof!" rang out.

Where did that barking come from?

The thought flashed through his mind. The next instant, a massive hand, carrying the force of one that held up the heavens, clamped firmly around his head.