Chapter 4

Xiao Han stood on the terrace, calming his mind to practice the pattern depicted on the piece of sheepskin. It was just three simple movements, which he repeated over and over again, day after day.

Under the moonlight, a barely perceptible ripple followed Xiao Han's movements, quickly rolling beneath his skin.

It was a breath. Xiao Han relied on this breath to endure countless beatings.

After a long while...

"Phew~~~" Xiao Han exhaled a long, turbid breath, stopping his practice. Sweat was already streaming down his forehead.

"Even though I know this is just a basic skill for taking beatings, I must practice diligently and never slack off. At the very least, I need to stay alive." Xiao Han muttered to himself, his eyes gazing up at the deep night sky.

The full moon shone with a graceful and ethereal beauty, and the stars twinkled like scattered gold, painting a mysterious and magnificent night sky.

Xiao Han's gaze became as hazy as a nebula, "So many stars, I wonder if one of them is Earth..."

Just as Xiao Han was lost in thought, a deep and powerful voice suddenly thundered across the peak, resonating far and wide, "All live targets, come out!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Xiao Han saw several imposing figures step onto the open ground below the stilt houses.

They were young men!

Xiao Han noticed one of them, with sword-like eyebrows and a full forehead, about seventeen or eighteen years old, carrying a long sword. His entire demeanor was fierce and sharp, exuding a formidable aura that seemed to devour the void and cut through everything. His eyes swept over everything, showing great pride and ambition.

Suddenly, a surge of killing intent rose in Xiao Han's heart! Uncontrollable hatred and anger boiled and burned, making his eyes seem to spout fire, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

"It's him!"

This young man was the genius disciple who had crushed "Live Target Xiao Han" with a single punch three years ago!

Xue Jianfeng!

Back then, Xue Jianfeng had reached the peak of the "Bone Tempering" stage within a few months of joining, and with a mere test of his strength, he had shattered "Live Target Xiao Han"!

Although the original Xiao Han had died, the current Xiao Han, who had crossed over from Earth, had taken over his body and memories. For him, Xue Jianfeng was his mortal enemy!

An intense hatred and killing intent surged in Xiao Han's heart!

At that moment, Xiao Han wished he could tear Xue Jianfeng apart, but he had no power!

No power!!!!

Faced with the enemy who had killed him, he had no power to take revenge!

"Hate!!!!" Xiao Han was almost consumed by inner turmoil!

Xue Jianfeng, who was now an outer disciple and even an inner disciple, had a much more formidable aura than three years ago. Compared to him, Xiao Han was like an ant!

"Live targets, come down one by one." A man standing beside Xue Jianfeng, towering at nine feet tall with a mountain-like presence, spoke with a voice that could shatter eardrums.

Soon, the live targets living in the stilt houses came down, looking sickly and timid, standing in neat rows.

Xiao Han also dressed and went downstairs, standing among the live targets, his head deeply bowed, fists tightly clenched, nails piercing his palms, knuckles white, and blood dripping.

"Little cousin, you have just become a disciple. You need to work hard and practice diligently. The 'Fuling Bone Washing Pill' can only maintain its effects for three days. You must practice more to strengthen your body and bones before the effects wear off. Try to successfully burst your bones within these three days. Now, pick a few strong live targets to go back and practice with." The nine-foot-tall man said to a teenager beside him.

It turned out that the martial disciples were here to select live targets for additional practice.

The live targets were all terrified but dared not speak, for fear of being beaten to death.

Soon, the teenager eagerly selected five live targets who were relatively robust. Xiao Han was lucky and was not chosen.

"Alright, Senior Brother Bai, the live targets are chosen. Let's return quickly. I have a sword technique to study and can't afford to waste time." Xue Jianfeng said coldly.

"Sure, Junior Brother Xue, let's go." The nine-foot-tall man smiled. "You are now a genius of the outer sect, receiving great cultivation support from the sect. I dare not delay your practice. Let's go."

With that, they left the area with the five live targets.

Suddenly, Xue Jianfeng stopped and his sharp eyes fixed on Xiao Han in the crowd!

Xiao Han's heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his teeth.

"Oh, it's you?" Xue Jianfeng suddenly smiled. "I remember you. When I was a new disciple, I reached 'Bone Tempering Hundred Sounds' and used a live target to test my strength. It was you. I remember clearly, I shattered your vine armor and left you with no signs of life. I didn't expect you to still be alive. Very, very good, you have a strong will to live."

Hearing this, Xiao Han's body trembled with overwhelming hatred and killing intent, but he had no power. He could only say in a low voice, "It's just that you held back, Senior."

"Hmm, I understand you must hate me. But that's nothing. You are a live target, born to be lowly and to be beaten. I am a prodigy in martial arts. Our lives are on different levels. You are an ant, and I am a lion." Xue Jianfeng said, hands behind his back. "Hating me is just a joke. Since you managed to survive, just accept your fate and endure the beatings. If you're lucky and don't die, you might even get some land and livestock. That's how your life will end."

With that, Xue Jianfeng walked away.

Xiao Han stared deeply at Xue Jianfeng's back, his heart bleeding, "Different levels of life? Heaven help me! If I, Xiao Han, ever gain power, I will take revenge! I will crush you inch by inch!"

After this incident, the live targets gathered in small groups to whisper. Xiao Han, however, returned to his stilt house without a word.

Standing on the terrace, Xiao Han's heart was in turmoil, unable to calm down. The killing intent in his heart raged, his eyes bloodshot, and various resentments flooded his mind.

"I, Xiao Han, watched my mortal enemy provoke and insult me right in front of me, but I had no power to take revenge. It's a disgrace to be human! No! I, Xiao Han, will not let this go! Power! I must have power!"

Xiao Han almost wanted to roar to vent his frustration. Almost subconsciously, he began practicing the three movements on the sheepskin again.

This was the only method Xiao Han could practice. His desire for power and cultivation made him unconsciously perform these three movements.

While practicing in anger, Xiao Han's heart suddenly fluttered inexplicably.

"Hmm?" Xiao Han's entire body stiffened, a pained expression on his face. "Damn, it's time for my heart to hurt again."

Since Xiao Han returned from the town, his heart had ached every night at this time. However, the pain duration was getting shorter. Last night, he only felt pain for a minute.

However, at this moment, Xiao Han's heart only fluttered slightly and did not hurt as it usually did.

"Last night it hurt for a minute, and tonight it doesn't hurt at all? That's great! This heart problem has plagued me for two months, it should be over now." Xiao Han waited a few minutes, still feeling no pain, and was relieved.

Just as Xiao Han's tense heart began to relax, suddenly...

Xiao Han felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a mysterious hot current penetrating his heart, as if it had fused with it!

"Ah?!" Xiao Han almost jumped in shock. "What's happening?"

Xiao Han quickly pressed his heart, his eyes darting around, both nervous and frightened. "What's happening? It feels like something has entered my heart..." Then, Xiao Han became furious, "Damn heaven! You made me cross over into a live target's body, already condemning me to death. Now, you want to play with me?!"

After a long while, Xiao Han cautiously looked down at his heart, seeing no marks and feeling no discomfort. He slightly relaxed but was certain that something strange had entered his heart. This thing seemed to move with his heart's beats.

To be precise, when Xiao Han first felt heart pain in the town two months ago, he felt something force its way into his heart. Now, it seemed to have completely merged with his heart!

"Bad luck!" Xiao Han cursed. Then, he deliberately held his breath to slow his heart rate and focused his mind. He noticed that no matter how slow his heart beat, the mysterious thing inside his heart continued to vibrate in a unique rhythm.

Xiao Han was puzzled for a long time but eventually gave up. He then resumed practicing the three movements.

As he practiced, suddenly, his heart began to beat rapidly and emit a faint buzzing sound!

Xiao Han froze, eyes wide, body motionless.

"Crack..."

A crisp sound came from Xiao Han's heart, as if something was breaking free from a constraint, a mysterious and profound feeling.

Soon, his heart was filled with a harmonious melody...

The next moment...

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Something strange happened!

From Xiao Han's heart, countless beams of light shot out!

They were colorful and bizarre, like countless threads of divine light weaving through the room, incredibly beautiful. The air rippled like water, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

"Heaven! What... What is this?!" Xiao Han was completely stunned, as if he were in a dreamlike ocean world!

Then, ancient and mysterious runes appeared, floating around.

Everything happening now was completely beyond Xiao Han's comprehension. He instinctively reached out to grab one of the runes passing by, but his hand went through it.

He realized that what he saw and heard were illusions, not physical entities, but a mental wave affecting his brain, creating a mirage-like hallucination.

After an unknown amount of time, all the divine light, beams, and runes merged into a single entity. With a "puff," it exploded into a dense, egg-like light cocoon, floating orderly in front of Xiao Han.

Feeling that these phenomena would not harm him, Xiao Han's courage grew. He counted the light cocoons in front of him, and there were exactly 100, arranged in 10 rows of 10 each.

"What... What is this... Unbelievable... Simply unbelievable..." Xiao Han took a few steps forward and tentatively reached out to touch one of the light cocoons, but it felt like touching air, with no physical sensation.

"Illusion... Mirage... Everything is an illusion..."

At that moment...

"Puff!"

One of the light cocoons broke.

Xiao Han jumped back several steps, staring in shock. It was the first cocoon in the bottom row, which exploded.

The next moment, the broken cocoon twisted, and the divine light intertwined, forming a pattern!

It was a naked man in a strange pose, with red lines moving through his transparent body.

"What?!!!" Xiao Han's mind exploded when he saw the pattern. He exclaimed, "Isn't this the pattern on the sheepskin I found?"

The sheepskin Xiao Han found had three patterns, depicting three naked men in strange poses. The first pattern was exactly the same as the one that appeared from the broken cocoon!

Just as Xiao Han was still in shock, the second cocoon in the bottom row broke, revealing the second pattern. It was also a naked man, identical to the second pattern on the sheepskin.

Then, the third cocoon broke, forming the third pattern, which matched the third pattern on the sheepskin.

"Swallow..." Xiao Han subconsciously swallowed.

"Puff~~~"

"Puff~~~"

"Puff~~~"

...

The light cocoons in the bottom row continued to break. Each broken cocoon revealed a pattern. All were naked men in various poses, with red lines moving through their bodies.

After the 10 cocoons in the bottom row broke, forming 10 patterns, the remaining cocoons did not break.

The 10 patterns represented 10 movements. Each movement seemed to be interconnected, forming a complete set of movements.

"Ah!" Suddenly, Xiao Han felt a shock, his mind stirred, "This... This is... Is this... a cultivation technique? The sheepskin I found only had the first three movements, which was a fragment, but what I see now... is complete..."

Xiao Han's mind was enlightened, and he began practicing from the first movement. He had practiced the first three movements countless times over the past two years and could perform them smoothly with his eyes closed. When he started the fourth movement, it was a bit awkward, but with the foundation of the first three, he quickly learned it.

The fifth movement, the sixth movement...

While practicing these movements, Xiao Han held his breath, letting it follow the red lines in the patterns.

After completing the ten movements, Xiao Han felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. The next moment, a thin, warm current began to form in his body!

This warm current moved to the bruised skin on Xiao Han's body from today's beating by Qi Shi. Xiao Han immediately felt a cool sensation, and the swelling and pain subsided.

At the same time, a mysterious will suddenly resonated in Xiao Han's mind...

"Indestructible Golden Body"

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