Chapter 8

Three months ago, Xiao Han was merely a living target, barely surviving and enduring daily beatings, living in constant fear. But now, he was powerful, and beating these so-called elite initiates was as easy as slicing through melons and crushing withered grass!

Everything seemed like a dream!

But the brutal beating of the initiates, with every punch landing on flesh, was all too real.

Xiao Han was feeling incredibly elated!

Seeing several elite initiates, who had been beaten by him, lying on the ground like mud, groaning; and the remaining initiates and living targets cowering in fear at his power...

Xiao Han was ecstatic! This wasn't the satisfaction of a petty person getting ahead, but the exhilaration of possessing power!

"Having power is truly wonderful!" Xiao Han closed his eyes slightly. "I finally understand why so many people practice martial arts... It's exhilarating! The feeling of life and death, of absolute control, is too exhilarating..."

The initiates looked at each other, then, trembling with fear, they helped up Linghu Xuan, Qi Shi, and the other severely injured elite initiates, and slowly retreated down the mountain.

Xiao Han did not stop them.

Before long, the mountain peak was deserted, silent and empty, with only Xiao Han remaining.

Xiao Han opened his eyes, waking from his near-mad state, and thought, "What should I do now? Going back to be a living target is out of the question."

"My cultivation is now at a bottleneck, my bone tempering has reached its peak, and I must now temper my organs. The path of martial arts is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you will be destroyed. If I stay at the bone tempering stage for too long, I will eventually become a target for beatings again... I must find a way to enter the outer sect."

Just as Xiao Han's thoughts were in turmoil, a calm male voice sounded behind him, very composed, "A living target, actually able to temper his body to this extent, and even injure several top initiates, is truly invincible. Such a thing is rare in the entire history of the Yunyu Sect."

"Who is it?" Xiao Han's heart raced. He had cultivated the 'Indestructible Golden Body' and had 200 bone explosions, reaching the peak of bone tempering. Not only had his physical strength become incomparably powerful, but his senses had also become much sharper. Anyone approaching within ten zhang (about 33 feet) would trigger his alertness. Yet, someone had easily evaded his senses and approached him. How could he not be shocked?

Xiao Han turned around and saw a middle-aged man in white.

The man stood tall and straight, with a face as smooth as jade, deep eyes like ancient wells, and an aura that was not fierce but exuded a sense of ease, freedom, and transcendence. A faint radiance seemed to shimmer on his body, and wherever he went, a fragrant aroma filled the air.

In front of this man, Xiao Han felt an immense mental pressure, as if he were being restrained and unable to resist in any way.

"This is a great figure! On par with Senior Brother Fang!"

Xiao Han quickly lowered his head and said, "Who are you?"

"Why can a living target cultivate to this extent? At the peak of bone tempering, with over 100 bone explosions, your foundation is incredibly solid. Truly strange and unusual." The middle-aged man frowned slightly, not paying much attention to Xiao Han, and continued to mutter to himself. "Could it be that he accidentally obtained some rare treasure? The Yunyu Mountains are vast, with countless gorges and caves, where many rare treasures are born, gathering the essence of heaven and earth. It's not impossible for a living target to have a stroke of luck."

As he spoke, the middle-aged man suddenly looked deeply at Xiao Han. Suddenly, Xiao Han felt his vital signs, heartbeat, body temperature, strength, and speed all exposed to the man's eyes!

Suddenly, the strange thing dormant in Xiao Han's heart rapidly condensed into a speck, hiding and stopping its movement to avoid detection.

Moreover, the 'Indestructible Golden Body' that Xiao Han had cultivated seemed to have gone unnoticed by the middle-aged man.

However, under the man's scrutiny, Xiao Han felt extremely uneasy, cold sweat trickling down his back, and he dared not even breathe, let alone speak. He knew very well that even with his current physical strength, he was still extremely vulnerable in front of this middle-aged man. A single thought from the man could destroy him.

This middle-aged man must be on par with the proud and lofty Senior Brother Fang from that day!

They are all great figures! Probably true disciples of the Yunyu Sect!

The middle-aged man clearly did not discover the secret hidden in Xiao Han's heart. He continued to mutter to himself, "Even if a living target obtained a rare treasure and swallowed it, it would be impossible to absorb and refine it. There would even be a risk of bursting... Wait, let me think, ha ha ha, I understand!"

The middle-aged man's frown relaxed, as if he had figured something out. "The rare treasure is deposited in the living target's body, unable to be refined. However, the daily beatings from the initiates cause the medicinal power to be forcibly dispersed, unintentionally tempering the living target's tendons and bones. That's it, it must be that!"

"Living target, did you accidentally eat some strange flower, grass, fruit, or lingzhi?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.

Xiao Han had heard the middle-aged man's muttering. He was not stupid and knew the principle of following the lead. Without hesitation, he blurted out, "Yes, yes, a month ago, in a cave overgrown with withered grass, I found a fruit. The fruit was very strange, entirely red, fist-sized, with no flowers or leaves, only a stem as thick as a finger, emitting a fragrant aroma that made me drool. I mustered the courage to pick and eat the fruit. It was sweet and fragrant, smooth and juicy... Um, after eating the fruit, I felt a strange bloating in my stomach. Later, when I was beaten by the initiates, it didn't hurt; instead, I felt a soothing warmth spreading through my body, my bones tingling as if they were about to explode... The more I was beaten, the more comfortable I felt, and a lot of mud-like dirt spewed out of my body... Finally, I accidentally had a bone explosion and gained strength... I don't know what exactly happened."

Xiao Han was spouting nonsense, plagiarizing descriptions of some magical fruits from fantasy novels he had read in his previous life.

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man's expression changed, and he said seriously, "Could it be the Red Lotus Fruit? For ordinary people, it extends life and rejuvenates; for martial artists at the physical body stage, it purifies and tempers the body. It's equivalent to the power of countless 'Skin Tempering Pills,' 'Tendon Tempering Pills,' and 'Bone Tempering Pills.' I didn't expect a mere living target to have such good fortune."

"Beating the initiates is... a great sin... But I was defending myself. If I didn't act, I would have been beaten to death by those initiates..." Xiao Han pretended to plead, glancing up at the middle-aged man to gauge his reaction.

The middle-aged man waved his hand indifferently, "You accidentally ate the Red Lotus Fruit, completed your body tempering, and became stronger than the initiates. You beat them, so be it. In this world, the fittest survive, the weak are preyed upon, and power is supreme. With power, you control everything. Great power can crush all rules. Now, you have reached the peak of bone tempering, with over 100 bone explosions, and a solid foundation. In our Yunyu Sect, with tens of thousands of initiates, very few have tempered their bodies to your level. You can become an outer sect disciple."

Xiao Han was overjoyed and said, "Please, sir, give me a chance!"

At this moment, Xiao Han's heart was in turmoil! Becoming an outer sect disciple was his greatest goal now. He had been lacking an opportunity, but the appearance of this middle-aged man seemed to offer a chance to fulfill his wish!

"Ha ha ha ha~~~ You're quite clever," the middle-aged man laughed.

In the next moment, a series of rosy lights emanated from the middle-aged man's body, tangible and substantial, rising like smoke and coalescing into a cloud the size of an acre in the sky. The clouds billowed, the sky was high, the sea was vast, and even a fine drizzle was falling.

"What... What is this..." Xiao Han was almost dumbfounded.

"Ha ha, since I'm in a good mood today, I'll take you to the outer sect disciple assessment. With your physical strength, getting a spot as an outer sect disciple won't be difficult," the middle-aged man waved his hand lightly.

Suddenly, Xiao Han felt dizzy and disoriented. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the cloud. The middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, looking incredibly graceful and elegant.

"What? A cloud can carry people?" Xiao Han couldn't resist touching the cloud, feeling its smooth and warm texture, like jade!

"Could this be the True Qi Realm?" Xiao Han blurted out.

"Ha ha ha, I didn't expect a mere living target to know about the True Qi Realm," the middle-aged man smiled, "Let's go~~~"

"Whoosh~~~"

The cloud carried the middle-aged man and Xiao Han, rising abruptly and quickly soaring hundreds of meters above the ground, gently drifting toward the inner mountains.

The autumn breeze blew, making Xiao Han's hair flutter and his clothes billow. His heart pounded wildly, thinking... I'm flying! Just like that... the True Qi Realm, this is the True Qi Realm! Mountains and rivers, as if walking on flat ground! Riding the mist and clouds, free and easy!

Xiao Han had witnessed Senior Brother Fang's unparalleled prowess a few months ago; today, he saw another great figure of the True Qi Realm. He was boiling with excitement!

"It seems... my understanding is too shallow. Becoming an outer sect disciple is nothing. I must reach the True Qi Realm to truly feel the exhilaration! Yes, yes... I, Xiao Han, swear that in my lifetime, I will cultivate to the True Qi Realm! To make my journey to this world worthwhile!" Sitting on the cloud, Xiao Han's heart burned with passion, completely沸腾 with excitement! He couldn't control himself!