Second Major Hurdle, Flesh-Refining Realm! (Third update, seeking reads)

"This Magistrate Gao is quite the lecher."

With a thought, Qin Zheng understood what "Little Eighteen" referred to.

However, it was the man's personal freedom and had nothing to do with him.

He then headed towards his small courtyard on the south side of the city.

He might be staying overnight at the dilapidated temple on the east side of the city tonight, so he needed to tidy up his home.

After all, besides food and supplies, he also had three hundred taels of silver stored there.

Upon returning home, he first started a fire to boil medicine, then placed valuables that couldn't be carried with him in an inconspicuous corner.

After completing these tasks, Qin Zheng proceeded to cut off two large chunks of beef and pork.

The weather hadn't been hot for the past couple of days, so they wouldn't spoil without preservation.

After drinking the medicine, he locked the door and turned back towards the temple on the east side of the city.

Over the next few days, Qin Zheng went back and forth between the south and east sides of the city.

During this time, news of Black Goose City dispatching troops to suppress bandits gradually spread. Coupled with the fact that no bandits had appeared, the tense and heavy atmosphere in Black Goose City slowly dissipated.

Meanwhile, the person who had suppressed the Canoe Gang by the river on the west side of the city that day was also quietly investigated by various forces within Black Goose City.

To everyone's astonishment, the powerful individual who could suppress the Canoe Gang without a sound was actually an ordinary executioner in Black Goose City!

However, after this, various factions reacted and all wanted to recruit Qin Zheng into their own forces.

Therefore, during this period, almost all forces in Black Goose City, except for the yamen and the garrison stationed outside the city, came to visit.

They offered gold and silver treasures that an ordinary person wouldn't earn in a lifetime, inviting Qin Zheng to join them.

But Qin Zheng refused them all.

These forces might be decent within Black Goose City, but they were nothing when considered against the entire Great Jin Dynasty.

Moreover, they couldn't provide the inner cultivation techniques Qin Zheng needed.

After this matter slowly subsided, the people of Black Goose City gradually returned to their normal lives.

However, Qin Zheng did not relax; in fact, that bad premonition grew even stronger.

This was because there had been no news from the garrison that went out to suppress the bandits.

And the old monk Chongming had still not returned!

The old monk Chongming's strength was at least at the Bone-Refining Realm, having broken through the fourth major hurdle.

Such a master was enough to dominate the area within and outside Black Goose City, with no one able to threaten him.

The fact that he could be delayed, or even trapped, meant it was definitely someone of the same realm, or even a higher realm.

This also implied that the dangers outside the city had not truly receded!

Therefore, during this time, Qin Zheng had been staying in the dilapidated temple on the east side of the city, protecting these beggars who were unable to even lift a chicken.

One day, after finishing his meal, Qin Zheng, as usual, went to the open space in front of the dilapidated temple to circulate his vital energy and blood.

As the thirteen movements were slowly executed, the vital energy and blood hidden within his body were stimulated.

Then, this vital energy and blood gradually gathered, like a flowing river, washing over Qin Zheng's skin from the inside.

During this process, a significant amount of vital energy and blood gradually merged into his skin, making it increasingly tough and resilient.

Finally, as if reaching a certain critical point, Qin Zheng felt as if his skin possessed its own breath.

With his entire skin breathing, the vital energy and blood within his body, like a river, were rapidly absorbed by his skin.

After a few breaths, more than half of his vital energy and blood was completely absorbed by his skin.

The remaining vital energy and blood seemed to find the next target and began to spread out, integrating into the flesh and blood throughout his body.

Skin-Refining Realm, perfected.

He had officially entered the second major hurdle, the Flesh-Refining Realm!

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Zheng's eyes.

He did not continue cultivating.

He stopped circulating his vital energy and blood and slowly concluded his movements.

At this moment, Qi Yan, who had been waiting for a long time, walked over quickly with a bowl of water.

"Brother Qin, you must be tired, have some water."

Qin Zheng looked at her, nodded, thanked her, and drank the water in the bowl in one gulp.

The cool spring water soothed the heat within his body, invigorating Qin Zheng.

"Brother Qin, you're too kind, this is what I should be doing."

Qi Yan took the bowl from Qin Zheng's hand and said.

After speaking, he turned and walked into the dilapidated temple.

Qin Zheng didn't bother with anything else and immediately began to assess his physical condition.

His skin looked delicate and jade-like, just like a woman's.

But it was tougher than cowhide.

If he were to activate the Great Sun Golden Cicada Skill again.

Ordinary swords and blades probably wouldn't be able to pierce Qin Zheng's skin and cause him harm.

A surge of joy welled up in Qin Zheng's heart. Simultaneously, he began to test how much strength his body could withstand after internal reinforcement.

With a thought, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill began to circulate.

Within Qin Zheng's body, streams of power began to surge rapidly.

One thousand jin, eleven hundred jin, twelve hundred jin, two thousand jin...

Every increase of one hundred jin in strength placed an additional strain on Qin Zheng's internal body.

When the strength reached two thousand five hundred jin, Qin Zheng reined it in, preventing it from increasing further.

This was because his body's load had reached its limit. If he were to increase his strength any further, it would begin to damage his internal body.

In other words, after reaching the peak of the Skin-Refining Realm and advancing to the Flesh-Refining Realm, Qin Zheng could now wield two thousand five hundred jin of strength without damaging his internal body!

This level far surpassed that of experts in the Muscle-Refining Realm, and was only five hundred jin short of matching the Bone-Refining Realm!

At the same time, after the internal body reinforcement, Qin Zheng could also advance the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill by another level!

At that time, with his full power unleashed, he would be able to possess a colossal strength of four thousand jin!

At this moment, Qin Zheng finally had the confidence to fear no faction and roam freely throughout Black Goose City!

Thinking of this, his mood improved considerably.

He gathered his thoughts, turned to look at the children and the woman in the dilapidated temple, and said with a smile, "I'll go out and buy groceries later. We'll have a good meal tonight."

After he said this, the children erupted in happy cheers.

These past few days were the best they had ever eaten in their lives.

They could eat meat every day and be full, something they had never dared to imagine before.

Qi Yan watched this scene, and a smile appeared on his face, his eyes filled with contentment.

However, when he inadvertently looked at the figure in the open space and felt the other's gaze, he quickly averted his eyes.

When he looked again, the figure had already left the dilapidated temple and disappeared from view.

Qin Zheng headed towards the south of the city.

Although the journey was longer, the variety and quality of the produce sold there were better than in the east of the city.

Moreover, they still had some meat at home, which he would bring back to the temple.

Feeling refreshed after his breakthrough, he also started to crave some good food to satisfy his appetite.

After making the round trip and buying the ingredients he wanted, he happened to see a fishmonger approaching.

Qin Zheng's eyes lit up, and he walked over.

He hadn't eaten fish in a long time and was indeed craving it.

He then bought a plump fatty fish weighing about five jin.

While he was buying the fish, the fishmonger glanced around and then, acting mysteriously, told Qin Zheng some news.

He said that when he was fishing this morning, he saw a floating corpse on the river.

And the clothes the corpse was wearing were the black robes of an official constable!