A Rise in Realm, Hongxiu's Worries

Buzz!

A warm current instantly surged through my entire body, as if an invisible force was stretching and tempering the tendons and veins of my limbs, making them more supple and elastic! My blood and energy surged, and my sense of power increased once again!

He clearly felt that he had broken through the barrier of the Bone Forging Realm and officially stepped into the fourth realm of Body Tempering — the Tendon Transformation Realm!

Looking at the panel again, the Realm section had indeed changed!

[Realm: Body Tempering - Tendon Transformation Realm (Entry) (Gain 20 points daily)]

'Daily points earned have doubled! Awesome!' Dongfang Yueming felt a surge of satisfaction. Although the points consumed were huge, only enough for the Entry, this was definitely a worthwhile investment!

In a great mood, he casually searched the corpses of the two unfortunate subordinates who had reached the Bone Tempering Greater Mastery.

The result was somewhat disappointing. Apart from two ordinary-looking D-grade standard longswords, there was nothing else of value.

"Sigh, so poor." Dongfang Yueming pursed his lips, casually putting away the two knives. Better than nothing, at least they could be used as spares or sold for some money.

Joy comes quickly and goes quickly.

Dongfang Yueming quickly calmed down, his gaze fixed on the blurry outline of the Black Stone Fortress in the distance, his Spirit Transformation sharp and wary.

' With Xi Lang dead, his uncle Xi Zhenyue, who is a general, will probably find out soon.' Alarm bells rang in his mind. 'This place is not safe to stay any longer; I must leave immediately! Otherwise, if Blood Replacement Realm expert comes knocking, the trouble will be immense!'

With that thought in mind, he didn't hesitate to take off the special terminal on his wrist that recorded his military achievements.

'Although there are still 25 military merits left, Xi Lang and the other two probably have quite a few on their terminals as well, it's a bit of a pity.' Dongfang Yueming stroked the cold terminal, thinking to himself, 'But the gains from this trip have been more than enough. Not only did I cultivate the Bone Forging Realm to the ultimate Perfection of the Glazed Jade Bones, but I also unexpectedly obtained the [Furious Tiger Tendon Transformation Method] and the [Blood Burning Secret Technique], and even broke through to the Tendon Transformation Realm, which has far exceeded my expectations. This trip was definitely worthwhile!'

Just as he was about to set off, a heavy tremor suddenly came from the ground!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Three massive Ironback Earth Dragon, their bodies covered in hard scales, charged out from some unknown direction. Their scarlet eyes were fixed on Dongfang Yueming, filled with deep-seated hatred! Clearly, they recognized this "murderer" who had hunted down their kind in the past few days!

Upon seeing this, Dongfang Yueming couldn't help but chuckle. 'Heh, you've come at just the right time.'

However, this time he did not draw his sword.

Facing the three enraged Intermediate-Level Mortal Beast charging at him, Dongfang Yueming's figure moved as elusive as a ghost. He unleashed his Perfection Gale Movement Technique, weaving freely between the three Ironback Earth Dragon. He would occasionally leave Qianqian marks on their hard shells with his fists and feet, but he would not kill them, as if playing cat and Rat.

The three-headed Ironback Earth Dragon roared in anger as he toyed with it, its massive body charging and crashing around, yet it couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

After playing around for a while, Dongfang Yueming One Flash an opportunity, flashed to the side of one of the Ironback Earth Dragon, and as it roared, he swiftly and accurately threw the terminal recording military merits into its abyss-like maw!

In this way, it can be assumed that Dongfang Ri is dead, Xi Lang's uncle may not be able to find him later.

Having done all this, he didn't linger. His figure transformed into a blur, and he quickly disappeared in the opposite direction from Black Stone Fortress.

Only three Ironback Earth Dragon remained, utterly enraged yet with nowhere to vent their fury. Unable to find the enemy who had toyed with them, they unleashed their rage on the blood-smelling corpses on the ground, devouring and tearing them apart like madmen, completely erasing the last traces of Xi Lang and the others.

Dongfang Yueming moved with lightning speed through the wilderness, leaving Black Stone Fortress far behind.

'I feel like I've forgotten something...' he thought, frowning as he hurried along, but couldn't quite recall what it was. 'Never mind, it probably isn't anything important.'

Dongfang Yueming quickly put this doubt out of his mind, and a surge of heroic ambition welled up in his heart.

' Martial Dao Academy! I, Dongfang Yueming, have returned!' he shouted in his heart. 'When I left the Martial Dao Academy for Black Stone Fortress, I was only at the Flesh Refining Realm Perfection. Now I've returned, a master of the Tendon Transformation Realm! Such a speed of progress, you probably can't find many like me in the entire Great Xia Dynasty!'

' The Seed Class Zhou Tong mentioned... is worth considering! They not only have the Blood Replacement Method there, but might even have a path to Qi Refining! This is crucial for my future cultivation!'

Just as Dongfang Yueming was planning his future, somewhere far away in Black Stone Fortress...

Hongxiu frowned slightly as she looked at the message on her terminal that had been sent long ago but had yet to receive a response, a strange unease rising in her heart.

[Dongfang Ri, are you free? I'd like to see you.]

This was a message she sent with great courage. Ever since they parted, the image of that boy had frequently appeared in her mind. But why... hadn't he replied?

In the past few days, she had also heard rumors in the fortress about a newcomer named "Dongfang Ri" who had been hunting Ironback Earth Dragon and was very powerful. She initially thought it was him, and felt a little proud and expectant.

But now, being unable to contact him was starting to worry her. Black Stone Fortress was no safe place; infighting, murder, and treasure hunting were commonplace. Could something have happened to him?

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Unable to sit Hongxiu any longer, she got up and went to find the Tie Shan and Tie Zhu brothers, who had gotten off the train with them.

"Tie Shan, Tie Zhu," Hongxiu asked bluntly, "Have you seen Dongfang Ri recently? Do you know which team he joined?"

Tie Shan and Tie Zhu scratched their heads sheepishly. Tie Shan replied, "Sister Hongxiu, we've never met Brother Dongfang. After we got off the train that day, he said he was going into seclusion and told us to find our own teams. We haven't been in contact since."

"What? He didn't team up?!" Upon hearing this, Hongxiu's expression changed instantly, and her unease intensified!

No matter how strong a newcomer is, if they act alone in the perilous Black Stone Fortress, it's practically like they're saying, "I'm rich, come and rob me!"

Could something have really happened to him?!

Extremely anxious, Hongxiu could no longer hold back her anger towards her father and hurriedly rushed towards the residence of Red-Bearded General Li Yu with the red beard.

When Li Yu saw his usually stubborn and indifferent daughter suddenly come to him with an unprecedented look of anxiety and pleading on her face, the seasoned general was stunned, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Father!" Hongxiu's voice trembled slightly; this was the first time she had addressed her father so sincerely since running away from home.

Li Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Xiu'er, what happened? Tell me slowly."

"Father, please help me find someone!" Hongxiu bit her lip, her voice urgent.

"Looking for someone? Who?" Li Yu was curious. Who could have caused his daughter to lose her composure like this?

"His name is... Dongfang Ri." Hongxiu's heart raced as she uttered the name. "He's a newcomer who came to Black Stone Fortress with me, but he hasn't joined any squad. I... I'm worried something might have happened to him!"

' Dongfang Ri... you must be alright! You absolutely cannot be hurt!' Hongxiu prayed silently in her heart, her hands unconsciously clenching together.

Just as her emotions were fluctuating wildly, the seemingly ordinary necklace around her neck, with its gemstones set in it, began to sway slightly at a frequency more frequent than ever before, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible halo.