「Two days later, at the Martial Arts Arena.」

[Breakthrough Point Progress +1%]

[Breakthrough Point]: 1 (Progress 0%)

"It’s finally full!"

Su Yu looked at the extra point on his panel, a flicker of anticipation in his heart.

’The White Ape’s Six Changes needs 3 points to Break its Limit again, and it’ll take a while to save that up. I might as well just use this point to Break the Limit on my reading skill!’

Without hesitation, Su Yu pressed the "+" sign next to his reading skill.

[Reading Skill Limit Break successful. 1 Breakthrough Point consumed.]

[Awakened Limit-Breaking Trait: Five Senses Divine]

[Trait]: Five Senses Divine. "Reading quiets the mind, and a quiet mind achieves divinity." The powerful Spiritual Power cultivated through reading has greatly enhanced your five senses.

In the next instant, a series of images flooded Su Yu’s mind.

BOOM—!

For a moment, all Su Yu could feel was a roar in his mind.

In a daze, his study vanished, replaced by countless images of alternating days and nights flashing through his consciousness.

He saw himself greeting the first light of dawn, engrossed in a book, oblivious to the morning dew soaking his clothes.

He saw the flickering candlelight of late night, the wick crackling as he rubbed his sore eyes, yet still persisting in his search for truth between the lines.

He saw the ponderous weight of the *History of Great Xia*, the wonders of the *Strange Tales of the Nine Provinces*, and the trivial details of various miscellanies...

Diligence is the only path up the mountain of knowledge; hard work is the only vessel on the boundless sea of learning!

At this moment, the rustling of countless turning pages converged, becoming like a spring rain that cleansed his soul. The dull words were no longer inanimate objects, but transformed into innumerable points of starlight, merging into his spiritual sea.

Through his reading, he had cultivated a tranquil mind. The clamor of the outside world was shut out, the restlessness in his heart smoothed away. In this state of supreme tranquility, his five senses were forged to a terrifying degree of power, his mind becoming as clear and brilliant as a polished mirror!

"Reading quiets the mind, and a quiet mind achieves divinity."

When Su Yu opened his eyes again, the world had changed.

He could clearly see the fine dust motes floating in the air, the texture of the fibers in the window paper, and even, inside the Suanni Swallowing Mouth Bronze Furnace near the Inner Courtyard gate, a fist-sized Fire Sun Stone radiating wisps of heat.

It wasn’t just his sight; his hearing had also taken a quantum leap.

"RUSTLE..."

It was the sound of a cricket crawling through the grass in the early spring courtyard. The friction of its legs against the blades of grass was as clear as a saw cutting wood right next to his ear. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"THUMP... THUMP..."

That was the steady, powerful heartbeat of Li Da at the gate, and the faint whoosh of blood flowing through his veins.

’This isn’t even the limit!’

With a thought, Su Yu focused his senses on the main road in front of the Su Mansion.

A hundred zhang away, he heard the graceful footsteps of a woman on the street. Three hundred zhang away, he heard the heavy tread of an Exotic Beast, likely a Cyan Armored Bull, a common sight in merchant caravans...

Countless sounds rushed toward him, yet they didn’t feel chaotic. Instead, his powerful Spiritual Power swiftly filtered, categorized, and analyzed them all.

Su Yu took a deep breath and caught the faint, almost imperceptible scent of sprouting grass and trees in the air.

...

’So this is... Five Senses Divine?’

’It’s unbelievably powerful! This single Breakthrough Point was well worth it!’

A sharp glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. ’With the power of Five Senses Divine, I’ll be able to gather all sorts of information with ease. More importantly, no one will ever be able to launch a sneak attack on me!’

...

A new day dawned, the morning light breaking through the darkness.

After finishing his White Ape Fist practice, Su Yu checked his panel.

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Fist (First Layer) (Minor Achievement 9300/10000)

’My White Ape Fist is about to break through to the next level. Once it does, my strength will reach the Third Acupoint realm!’

’But my resources are running low. If I keep training at this conventional pace, it’ll be too slow. Especially now that Black Stone City has fallen into complete turmoil!’

Su Yu recalled the latest intelligence from the Public Security Bureau, and his sense of urgency doubled.

The aftershocks from the fall of Liangzhou were violently battering this remote, important town.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect had established a branch in the south of the city and was recruiting disciples far and wide, even disseminating their Beast Taming Technique, causing countless people to flock to them.

The Flying Fish Martial Arts Hall had opened its doors and was taking on students. The hall master’s daughter, Ding Mianyue, was going around challenging other schools, and had already defeated four or five well-established martial arts halls.

If this continued, all the martial arts halls in Black Stone City would be utterly disgraced.

There were even rumors that the hall master’s favorite student, Jiang Pingzhi, had already broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm at the young age of twenty-two!

To put that in perspective, Cui Wanhe was twenty-four when he broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm last year, and he was already considered the greatest genius Black Stone City had seen in decades.

Now, that record had been easily shattered by this "Overseas Dragon"!

’I have to get stronger, faster! Otherwise, I won’t be able to protect myself in this turmoil!’

Su Yu pondered his options.

The cultivation pills his master provided him each month were likely already the limit of what he could offer, especially after giving him that Bone-Cleansing Flower, which must have drained a significant portion of his family’s wealth.

’Take up positions with more families?’

’That path isn’t so easy either. If I were in the Flesh Refining Realm, I might be able to secure a better position.’

’Besides, with the power structure of Black Stone City about to be completely reshuffled, the more families I’m affiliated with, the more trouble I could find myself in.’

After thinking it over, Su Yu decided he had to rely on himself!

’I’ll go explore the Black Water River. My Listening Wave Positioning already gives me a huge advantage in underwater treasure hunting. Now that I have Five Senses Divine, it should be even easier!’

’But first, I’ll visit the Jiang Family to gather some intelligence on the Black Water River and get my hands on a treasure ship.’

...

「Jiang Mansion, Rear Courtyard.」

"Well, look what the cat dragged in! Senior Brother Su, what brings you here?"

Jiang Liuchuan was lounging on a Grandmaster’s Chair, enjoying being fed grapes by two pretty maids. Seeing Su Yu enter, he stood up, dismissed the maids with a wave, and gave him a warm welcome.

Su Yu took a seat and got straight to the point. "Junior Brother Jiang, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. I plan to rent a small treasure ship from you and try my luck in the depths of the Black Water River. What’s the situation there now?"

Jiang Liuchuan was taken aback by his words.

Everyone knew the Black Water River was full of treasures—treasure fish, aquatic treasure plants, all sorts of rare wonders... even ancient immortal abodes left over from antiquity. But obtaining them was no easy task.

He dropped his playful demeanor and said seriously, "Senior Brother, this is no laughing matter. Although the Black Water River has mostly returned to normal, the dangers are still there."

"Going alone to try your luck is not only dangerous, but the search and exploration alone will consume a great deal of time and energy."

He didn’t say it so bluntly, but inwardly he felt Su Yu was being a bit too fanciful.

If he were just taking a boat out to make a catch, he might get something. But for the current Su Yu, that kind of haul wouldn’t even be enough to cover the cost of the trip.

So he must be aiming for something truly valuable...

Su Yu nodded. He understood what Jiang Liuchuan was saying, but he had confidence in himself.

"Junior Brother Jiang, to be honest, I’m quite confident in my abilities in the water. Since the Black Water River has mostly returned to normal, just renting me a small treasure ship will be enough."

Seeing that Su Yu had made up his mind, Jiang Liuchuan stopped trying to persuade him. He laughed heartily and slapped his thigh. "Rent? What rent? Old Su, now you’re treating me like a stranger! We’re martial brothers!"

The name "Old Su" rolled off his tongue, a clear attempt to get closer.

"In that case, Junior Brother, I won’t stand on ceremony," Su Yu said with a smile. He didn’t mind getting closer to Jiang Liuchuan.

’This guy’s a good person. He’s worth befriending.’

"Aha, that’s more like it! Come on, I’ll take you to see my Jiang Family’s Treasure Fish Field!"

...

The carriage arrived at the Black River Crossing Pier, and the air gradually filled with moist water vapor.

The two then boarded a fast boat, heading straight downriver to the south of the Black Water River.

"Old Su, the Treasure Fish Fields are all in the southern area known as the Ten Islands District. It’s different from the deep parts of the Black Water River to the north. Even though it’s downstream, there are still plenty of good things to be found."

Su Yu examined the map Jiang Liuchuan had given him, his thoughts churning.

The upper reaches of the Black Water River originated from the Great Snow Mountains of You Province, flowed south through Liangzhou, passed the eastern part of Qing Province in its middle section—which was near Black Stone City—and its lower reaches flowed into the heartland of Qing Province, merging into the larger Thousand Lakes region.

The deep part of the Black Water River that Su Yu had visited before was to the north.

The area to the south, however, was dotted with dozens of sandbars that resembled small islands, making it completely different from the vast depths of the river. It was thus known as the Ten Islands region.

This was also where many of the city’s families farmed their treasure fish.