The three men dusted themselves off, stood up, and turned to head back the way they came.

But they had barely taken two or three steps when—*PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!*—three soft sounds suddenly rang out.

All three men went rigid. The next moment... *THUD, THUD, THUD.* They collapsed to the ground.

They didn’t even let out a grunt.

A bloody hole had appeared on each of their foreheads.

Qin Fang appeared beside the three men. He glanced down at their eyes, wide open and unblinking, a hint of confusion still lingering within them...

Then he raised his head, peered into the distance, and listened intently to make sure no one else was nearby.

Only then did he hoist the three corpses, cover the bloodstains on the ground with dirt until they were obscured, and turn to leave.

’Chen Shanhe is still looking for me, even though he must know that after more than ten days, I’ve probably already eaten the Treasure Fish.’

’Either that, or among the six disciples I killed that day, there was someone Chen Shanhe cared about deeply, and now he wants revenge.’

’Or... he has some other agenda.’

’But no matter what his motive is, I have to break through to the Huajin Realm as soon as possible... If Chen Shanhe finds that cave, it’ll be big trouble.’

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Qin Fang carried the three men deep into the mountains, where he dug a deep pit and buried them.

...He had no personal quarrel with these three men.

But since they had come after him, Qin Fang certainly wasn’t going to let them leave alive.

’Still, the sudden disappearance of three men will likely reveal that I’m still in the area... Once Chen Shanhe asks which direction they headed this morning, it’s only a matter of time before he tracks me down.’

’But without their ’accidental’ discovery, he might not notice the cave right away.’

’I only need a little over three hundred more proficiency points to break through with the Mental Pile... Two days at most, and I should be able to do it!’

Qin Fang mused on his way back.

He knew that even if he broke through to the Huajin Realm, he likely wouldn’t be a match for Chen Shanhe.

But even if he wasn’t his match... he would still be much stronger than he was now.

He already understood the True Intent of Huajin: Control over the internal and external.

To put it simply, when facing a Huajin expert... the moment an opponent makes the slightest move, a Huajin Martial Artist will instantly perceive it and predict their next action...

Every offensive intention, every subtle shift, is completely read by your opponent... on top of that, you’re utterly crushed in terms of strength and speed.

How are you supposed to fight that?

That was why it was impossible to fight a Huajin Martial Artist without first reaching the Huajin Realm yourself.

But things were different once you reached the Huajin Realm...

If they could predict his moves, he could predict theirs!

Moreover, the strikes of a Huajin Powerhouse were far more covert and swift than those in the Anjin Realm.

The shift between overt and covert Force, all within one’s control!

Once they were in the same Realm, even if his opponent had more tricks up his sleeve and he couldn’t win, he absolutely wouldn’t be defeated so effortlessly, without even a chance to fight back.

So, he had to break through as soon as possible!

After returning to his shelter, Qin Fang once again sat cross-legged to practice the Mental Pile, striving for a swift breakthrough...

Time passed, and night gradually fell.

"Master, Wang Zhan, Xiao Xu, and Long Qing have not yet returned!"

In a valley deep in the mountains, a journey of several hours from Li Family Ao, a disciple of the True Martial Boxing Hall stood before a thatched hut, reporting respectfully in a low voice.

There were about thirty True Martial Disciples here, all dressed in standard True Martial uniforms. They were surrounded by simple thatched huts, with a square of flattened earth in the center that served as a training ground.

The hut remained silent for a moment before the door was pushed open with a CREAK, and Chen Shanhe’s figure appeared in the doorway.

His expression was cold and grim, his aura as deep as an abyss.

"Any discoveries from the others?"

The disciple answered respectfully, "The other disciples have ventured deep into the wilderness, but they’ve found nothing."

"Does anyone know which direction those three went when they set out?"

"Yes. They said they were heading toward the former Fisherman City."

"Fishermen’s?"

Chen Shanhe’s eyes narrowed slightly. He murmured, "That’s right... The first rumors of the Expert in Hidden Weapons came from Fishermen’s... Could it be he’s been hiding nearby this whole time?"

A cold glint appeared in the depths of his eyes. He ordered in a low voice, "Everyone, set out at once for Fishermen’s. Search all the mountains and wilds in the vicinity... Are there any disciples familiar with that area?"

"Yes. Chen Wu is from Mentougou Village, near Fishermen’s. He’s very familiar with the area..." the disciple immediately replied.

"Then have Chen Wu lead the party."

"Yes."

After respectfully accepting the command, the disciple left to relay the orders.

Chen Shanhe watched the disciple go, his gaze flickering rapidly...

"So close... I’m so close..."

He turned and went back into the hut. With great care, he retrieved a thread-bound book from a wooden box and stared at the words on its pages.

"Break open the Divine Gate, Force Transforming Essence... My Realm is sufficient, I only lack the Force..."

Force...

A desperate longing appeared in his rapidly flickering eyes.

"Unfortunately, the Treasure Fish is elusive... The only other way is..."

"That Exotic Species he keeps by his side... if I were to consume it, it should have a miraculous effect as well..."

"If I can successfully break through to the True Essence Realm..."

Recalling everything he had witnessed in the Prefecture City years ago, he couldn’t help the surge of excitement that washed over him.

"True Essence, True Essence!"

he murmured...

...

「In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.」

WHOOSH!~

The water surged. Qin Fang sat cross-legged beneath the waterfall, his eyes gently closed. The overt and covert Force throughout his body intertwined, resisting the torrent crashing down upon him.

In his Contemplation, he was like a great serpent coiled on the ground. His whole body writhed as the Force within him surged through every inch, nearing Perfection...

Then, at a certain moment...

’Spiritual Snake Listening Wave Pile (Mental Pile) (Perfection): 1/∞’

The instant the Mental Pile broke through, a roar suddenly filled Qin Fang’s mind. The next moment, the feeling of Blessings Arrive in the Heart quietly emerged.