Both breaking through

The ferocity of the poison in Zhou Pan'er's ten Blood Flying Needles was downright horrifying.

With a swish.

Zhou Pan'er retrieved the Blood Flying Needle lying in the pool of blood.

However.

Compared with the other nine Blood Flying Needles, this one had a distinctly redder tint. It seemed the Ironwood Fox's melting had been connected to it-the needle actually possessed the ability to devour energy.

"Shaoping, let me see whether you're hurt."

After putting away her Blood Flying Needles, Zhou Pan'er looked Fu Shaoping up and down. Once she confirmed that he had no wounds, she looked at the Ironwood Fox's corpse below, her eyes gleaming as she said excitedly:

"Shaoping, come on, let's drink its blood. We have to drink it while it's hot!"

Zhou Pan'er smiled faintly, revealing two small dimples.

Devouring a demonic beast's blood essence.

From her tone, it might as well have been eating a bowl of tofu pudding.

Zhou Pan'er moved extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, she reached the Ironwood Fox's side, opened her mouth, and bit down hard. Circulating her cultivation art, she began sucking fiercely.

This was the blood essence of a First-Tier Peak demonic beast.

Fu Shaoping felt a flicker of excitement. Without wasting any time, he lowered his head and bit into the other side of the Ironwood Fox's neck. He circulated the Mysterious Tortoise Qi-Nourishing Art at full power, gulping down its blood essence. As the vigorous energy entered his body.

His skin turned golden at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Within the Treasure Mirror in his sea of consciousness.

Body Tempering Realm: fourth layer (60/100)

62

68

72

75

83

The value kept climbing.

Finally, with a ding, it settled at:

Body Tempering Realm: fourth layer (89/100)

He was only one final step away from breaking through to the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm!

When Fu Shaoping raised his head.

Zhou Pan'er had already wiped the blood from her lips. Unlike the first time, the excitement in her eyes had now faded:

"Big Sister Pan'er, skin the Ironwood Fox. I'll go into the cave to gather the Seven-Congealing Grass."

"All right."

Zhou Pan'er immediately drew the dagger tucked into her boot.

Fu Shaoping stepped forward and checked the pulses of the two young men lying on the ground, only to find that their hearts had stopped beating.

He sighed softly.

Using Ethereal Steps, he swiftly entered the cave.

In the Million Mountains.

Murdering others for their treasures was far from uncommon.

If someone with ulterior motives had heard the fighting and came to seize the Seven-Congealing Grass, stirring up further trouble, things would turn ugly.

The cave reeked of fox musk.

At its far end.

He saw three fully mature stalks of Seven-Congealing Grass.

"There really is Seven-Congealing Grass here."

Joy flashed in Fu Shaoping's eyes. Following the instructions in the Hunting Manual, he used the seven-step root-excavation method to dig up the three stalks and placed them in a specially made white-bottomed box patterned with wood grain.

There were also three or four immature stalks of Seven-Congealing Grass in the cave. They could neither be used in medicine nor transplanted, so Fu Shaoping left them untouched.

He quickly withdrew from the cave.

By then.

Zhou Pan'er had already skinned the Ironwood Fox.

"Let's go!"

Without even picking up the sword on the ground, Fu Shaoping immediately left the area.

Until he knew who those people were or where they came from.

It was best to avoid unnecessary trouble.

After descending Pale Ridge Mountain, the two went straight to their carriage.

Seeing Fu Shaoping turn the carriage around and head back toward the Clear Warehouse Inn, Zhou Pan'er asked in confusion:

"Shaoping, are we going back already?"

Now that she had the Blood Flying Needles.

Zhou Pan'er was brimming with confidence and clearly wanted to hunt down a few more demonic beasts.

"We'll talk once we're back."

Fu Shaoping intended to return to the Clear Warehouse Inn and use the Stone Origin Pills to advance to the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm first.

They had not even ventured deep into the Million Mountains.

It had merely been Pale Ridge Mountain.

He had thought there was only one First-Tier Mid-Stage Ironwood Fox, but the situation had proved far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

There had actually been two Ironwood Foxes in the cave, and one had even broken through to First-Tier Peak.

If that old woman had not risked her life to severely wound that Ironwood Fox, neither of them would have dared provoke it. They could only have fled.

When their carriage left Yuyang Gorge, the two guards at the entrance saw that Fu Shaoping had returned after a brief trip. Rather than mocking him, they spoke approvingly:

"It's good for young people to know when to advance and when to retreat. The Million Mountains aren't somewhere just anyone can wander into."

The carriage stopped at the Clear Warehouse Inn.

Rather than booking separate rooms, the two stayed in the same room.

After shutting the door tightly.

Fu Shaoping said:

"Big Sister Pan'er, how far are you from breaking through to the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm?"

"Granny Xue had me soak in a medicinal bath at her place. With the Ironwood Fox's blood essence on top of that, I'm only one final step away."

A medicinal bath?!

Fu Shaoping froze for a moment.

No wonder Big Sister Pan'er had shown no abnormalities when devouring the demonic beast's blood essence this time. Granny Xue had clearly helped regulate her condition.

A thought stirred in Fu Shaoping's mind:

"Big Sister Pan'er, could you ask Granny Xue for the medicinal bath formula?"

"I asked her right then, but Granny Xue said the medicinal ingredients it requires aren't things I can buy at my current stage."

In that case.

Granny Xue had been quite generous toward Big Sister Pan'er.

Fu Shaoping nodded slightly.

He took out paper and a brush.

He quickly wrote:

"Big Sister Pan'er, I'm also only one final step away from breaking through to the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm. I have a few Stone Origin Pills that should be enough for both of us to break through. Stand guard for me first."

Walls had ears.

Although a Stone Origin Pill was worth only ten low-grade Origin Stones.

Fu Shaoping still feared that some criminal might develop murderous intentions.

"All right!"

Zhou Pan'er nodded.

At the same time, she felt faintly guilty.

Shaoping shares every good thing he gets with me, but apart from two pill recipes, I haven't given him anything.

Perhaps next time I see Granny Xue, I can secretly pocket a few pills or medicinal ingredients for Shaoping.

Fu Shaoping slipped off his shoes and climbed onto the bed.

He sat cross-legged in meditation.

"Phew..."

Once he had brought his body and mind into their best condition.

He opened his mouth and took two Stone Origin Pills.

He intended to carry his momentum through in one push.

And break through to the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm in a single attempt!

After the Stone Origin Pills entered his stomach.

Their immense medicinal power erupted instantly. The doubled pain made Fu Shaoping grunt.

However.

He did not even furrow his brow.

He swiftly circulated the medicinal power, refining the sole remaining patch of skin on his abdomen.

After three days and three nights.

A hazy yellow glow emanated from Fu Shaoping's entire body.

Every inch of his skin had now been refined into copper skin. The copper skin stage was complete!

The next step was to refine Origin Energy into his bones!

Fu Shaoping focused his attention on the Treasure Mirror in his sea of consciousness.

The Treasure Mirror flashed faintly.

Body Tempering Realm: fifth layer (1/100)

Indeed.

He had entered the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm!

He was now only one minor stage away from qualifying for promotion to Commandant!

Fu Shaoping suddenly opened his eyes.

A sharp gleam flashed through them and vanished.

"Shaoping, did you break through?"

"Yes. Big Sister Pan'er, it's your turn."

Fu Shaoping gave Zhou Pan'er all the remaining Stone Origin Pills, along with their bottle.

Feeling the lingering warmth of the pill bottle, Zhou Pan'er felt waves of warmth flow through her heart. She immediately rose onto her toes and planted a firm kiss on Fu Shaoping's cheek with a smack.

"Big Sister Pan'er, this side too."

Grinning, Fu Shaoping offered his right cheek, only for Zhou Pan'er to gently swat it away. Her touch was like a tickle, sending ripples through his heart.