Fists were the only reason

Qingyun Town.

The blazing sun hung high overhead.

Inside the Six Harmonies Martial Hall, Mountain-Splitting Hand Zhao Bao held thousand-jin stone weights in both arms, lifting them in a steady rhythm.

Each time he raised the weights, his sinews and bones rang out together.

Every martial artist in the hall looked at Zhao Bao with envy.

A martial artist's Body Refining consisted of Skin Refining, Sinew Refining, Bone Refining, and Blood Refining.

A martial artist whose sinews and bones could ring out together had pushed Body Refining to its limit and stood only a single step away from Blood Refining.

"Impressive, Brother Bao! Blood Refining Qi Gathering can't be far off!"

"In our Six Harmonies Martial Hall, Brother Bao is second only to the hall master."

"Brother Bao, could you demonstrate your signature Mountain-Splitting Hand for us?"

Amid the chorus of flattery, Zhao Bao grew rather carried away, his face brimming with swagger.

"Fine! Then I'll show you my martial technique, Mountain-Splitting Hand!"

As he spoke, Zhao Bao walked over to a pile of rounded stones in the courtyard and picked up a thousand-jin boulder.

"Watch closely!"

Zhao Bao's eyes widened fiercely. The muscles of his right arm bulged as he turned his palm into a blade and chopped down.

"Hah!"

The solid rounded boulder shattered at the sound.

"Excellent!"

"Incredible!"

The martial artists showered him with praise.

Just then, a jarringly discordant voice rang out.

"A paltry trick, and you dare make a spectacle of yourself?"

At those words, the broad smile on Zhao Bao's face instantly froze.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

Outside the martial hall, a figure leaned against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, his face full of contempt.

"Who are you? How dare you spout such insolent nonsense here?"

Zhao Bao seethed, sensing that the visitor had come with ill intent.

"You're Zhao Bao?"

Zhang Teng asked.

Zhao Bao snorted coldly. "I change my name for no one! And who might you be?"

"My name is Zhang Teng. You were the one who beat Niu Er? I also heard you threatened to smash up my master's training ground."

Zhang Teng paused, his eyes like blades as he stared straight at Zhao Bao.

"In that case, allow me to experience your esteemed skills!"

At this, Zhao Bao's blood surged, and his eyes widened with fury.

"You're here to challenge our hall?"

Zhang Teng smiled contemptuously.

"I merely wanted to use my fists to reason with you!"

Every word stabbed into Zhao Bao's heart like a sharp knife.

"Reason with your fists, eh? Dare to challenge our hall, and you'll walk in upright and leave lying flat!"

In a frenzy of rage, Zhao Bao pushed off with his feet and shot toward Zhang Teng like an arrow loosed from a bow.

As he closed in, Zhao Bao repeated his earlier move, turning his palm into a blade and chopping down viciously.

Facing that crushing force, Zhang Teng remained calm. He raised one hand slightly, actually intending to catch Zhao Bao's Mountain-Splitting Hand head-on.

"Has that kid gone mad?"

"Even the hall master wouldn't dare take Zhao Bao's Mountain-Splitting Hand head-on!"

"He's courting death!"

The martial artists in the hall murmured among themselves.

At that very moment.

The Mountain-Splitting Hand descended.

Blood churned inside Zhang Teng's body. Beneath the slanting glow of the setting sun, a bronze sheen flowed across his raised hand.

Bang!

Even the stone paving beneath Zhang Teng's feet cracked from the impact.

Yet the palm that caught the attack remained as immovable as Mount Tai.

"He actually... caught it!"

"Bronze? Bronze Skin and Iron Bones? Heavens, he actually developed Bronze Skin and Iron Bones through Body Refining!"

"Judging by how deep that bronze color is, it's at least high-grade!"

The surrounding martial artists all sucked in a breath of cold air.

Countless martial artists walked the world, and all knew that the pinnacle of Body Refining was Bronze Skin and Iron Bones. Anyone who achieved it was undoubtedly a genius.

Yet among those geniuses, anyone who attained the high grade was a genius among geniuses. Calling such a person a favored child of heaven was no exaggeration.

At that moment.

Zhao Bao was already stunned. His palm, capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone, was now throbbing with pain.

In his daze.

He felt a powerful hand press directly onto his head.

The next second, the world spun around him.

His entire body slammed uncontrollably toward the ground.

Bang!

The blue stone paving cracked beneath the impact, and blood streamed from Zhao Bao's head.

Almost simultaneously.

A foot planted itself on his head.

Zhang Teng's mocking voice sounded beside his ear.

"Is that all? With so little to your name, you still dare run your mouth?"

The martial artists of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall immediately surrounded Zhang Teng, but he remained unmoved.

"What? Want to come at me together? Fine! I'll cripple Zhao Bao first, then see what the martial artists of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall can do!"

Zhao Bao hurriedly cried out in panic.

"Don't attack!"

The martial artists of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall exchanged looks, not daring to act. Only then did Zhao Bao speak to Zhang Teng.

"What do you want?"

"Two conditions."

Zhang Teng's voice rang out.

"First, you're a martial artist. Beating an ordinary civilian was a grave wrong, so you must pay his medical expenses."

"Second, you must go to his door and apologize."

"Well?"

Under another man's eaves, one had no choice but to bow one's head.

Such was the rule among martial artists.

The strong reigned supreme!

Now that Zhang Teng had defeated him, Zhao Bao's life was no longer in his own hands. He had no choice but to bow his head.

"The medical expenses... I'll pay them. Afterward, I'll go and apologize in person."

Only then did Zhang Teng lift his foot.

"As expected, only fists can make you listen to reason! I'll be waiting. Otherwise, the next time I come, I'll smash this martial hall outright!"

With that, he strode away.

Watching Zhang Teng's retreating figure, Zhao Bao's gaze shifted.

"Brother Bao... this..."

"I spoke recklessly and lost my temper. Someone came looking for revenge and gave me a beating. I accept that! Those are the rules among martial artists. I understand."

At that point, Zhao Bao changed tack, his gaze turning fierce.

"But he attacked openly inside the Six Harmonies Martial Hall. That means he showed the hall master no respect!"

"When the hall master comes knocking, he'll have to accept it too!"

At these words, the surrounding martial artists nodded.

"The hall master is about to gather his qi into a sea and break through to the Dantian Sea Realm. Even if that brat has developed Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, he's absolutely no match for the hall master!"

"A pity the hall master isn't here... If he were, how could that kid run wild?"

Time passed.

The lingering glow of sunset spilled across the paving of Qingyun Town.

The town, normally bustling but somewhat quiet now, suddenly came alive.

A man appeared with a dead White-Striped Tiger slung over his shoulder, his steps steady and his expression proud.

"That's Hall Master Cheng Lu. Is he carrying the Gold-Eyed Tiger?"

"I heard a fierce tiger on South Mountain was eating people. Those it ate became Tiger Ghosts and tricked travelers. Could that be the Mutant Tiger?"

"That's the one! I heard the people of South Mountain Town came to ask the hall master to hunt it!"

Under everyone's admiring gazes, Hall Master Cheng returned to the Six Harmonies Martial Hall with a smile.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw a dispirited crowd.

Much of the blue stone paving around them was damaged as well.

"What happened?"

Hall Master Cheng's voice was low, commanding awe without a trace of anger.

"The hall master is back?"

"You broke through?"

The martial artists inside the hall were overjoyed at the sight of Hall Master Cheng.

"Hall master! Someone came to challenge our hall!"

"Brother Bao was beaten! The challenger even ordered Brother Bao to go to his door, apologize, and pay compensation!"

At these words, Hall Master Cheng first froze, then flew into a rage.

"Who dares! Challenging our hall while I was away? This is bullying beyond all bounds!"