Longevity by Grinding Skills-Chapter 40: Astonishment

Qin Bo shook his head. "That man is quite strong. You were injured, Junior Sister, so of course I didn’t dare to linger. I could only retreat for now and regroup."

Fei Yao said, "I’m fine, Senior Brother. It’s likely just a superficial wound."

Hearing this, Qin Bo’s expression grew even more anxious. He quickly said, "Junior Sister, how about I take a look at your injury? Then I can go buy some medicine to apply. We absolutely can’t be careless about this."

Upon hearing this, Fei Yao felt a wave of conflict, and a bashful expression flickered across her face.

But in the end, she gave a slight nod, her voice barely a whisper.

"Mm... People of the Mortal World shouldn’t be overly constrained by formalities."

Qin Bo was secretly overjoyed to hear this.

Normally, although Fei Yao had a favorable impression of him, she always maintained a certain distance, never giving him a chance to get closer.

He never expected that because of today’s incident, Fei Yao would finally relent.

For a moment, Qin Bo even felt an absurd urge to thank Xu Yunfan. ’If it weren’t for that kick, I probably wouldn’t have gotten this chance.’

On the surface, however, he showed no sign of this, his face still full of concern. His movements were as gentle as if he were handling a priceless treasure, making him seem like a man of deep and sincere affection.

When he carefully lifted Fei Yao’s clothes and saw the large, dark bruise on her lower abdomen, he feigned a look of pure fury. His eyes flew wide as he shot to his feet and roared, "What a vile scoundrel! Don’t worry, Junior Sister. A gentleman always gets his revenge! I’ll definitely make him pay a terrible price for that kick!"

At that moment, Fei Yao recalled Xu Yunfan’s merciless and vicious methods. Her heart filled with rage and indignation, but seeing Qin Bo’s furious display on her behalf, a sweet warmth spread through her.

She bit her lower lip, a haughty glint in her eyes, and said viciously, "Senior Brother, that guy took your house! He’s gone too far! We can’t let him get away with this. We have to find a way to kill him!"

"Let’s not be hasty. The opponent is a Martial Master who has achieved at least First Level Great Mastery. If we want to get rid of him, we can’t act recklessly. We need to plan this carefully. If he’s willing to sell the house, then the matter can be settled easily. We’ll just pay him another visit tomorrow."

Qin Bo offered a few words of comfort to calm Fei Yao down. If they were to charge over there again recklessly, they would very likely be dead the next time they encountered him.

’A First-Level Martial Artist living incognito in a small city like this... We don’t know his background or origins. If a fight breaks out and he decides to use lethal force, our sect wouldn’t even know who to take revenge on.’

’But by the same token, he probably has no backing, or he’s hiding something shameful, which is why he’s keeping such a low profile.’

’Perhaps I can even get some unexpected benefits from this guy.’

’Most importantly, it’s very likely that Xu Yunfan will find the thing inside that courtyard. Regardless of whether he yields or not, I have to find a way to kill him.’

’I came back this time specifically for that item; the house was just a pretext. The plan was to just grab it and leave. But if that Martial Master finds it...’

A glint flashed in Qin Bo’s eyes as killing intent surged within him.

"Huh? Where are my Silver Notes?"

"...Maybe I accidentally dropped them while carrying you back. I’ll go buy the medicine for you first. Rest for a day or two, and then we’ll make a plan." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Oh, it’s fine. I still have a bag of golden leaves in my bundle. Please, take them and use them, Senior Brother. It’s more than enough for our expenses on this trip."

A blush crept onto Fei Yao’s face. "You’re so good to me, Senior Brother."

"..."

-----------------

’You have diligently practiced Flying Leg. Your steps seem to have become somewhat lighter, as if you have grasped its essence.’

’You have carefully contemplated Flying Leg, gaining new insights from old knowledge. You perceived a crucial point you had previously missed. After correcting your form accordingly, you feel you can now generate force more efficiently.’

’...’

Watching the stream of notifications that nearly flooded his vision, Xu Yunfan let out a breath and stopped exercising his aching legs. At this moment, the Blood Qi within his body was churning, exceptionally active.

Despite the cold weather, he was bare-chested as he slowly paced the courtyard to calm his qi and blood. The heat radiating from his body and the evaporating sweat made him steam, shrouding him in a white mist. His pant legs were rolled up to his thighs, revealing the visibly twitching muscle fibers in his legs. Gnarled, bulging veins pulsed in time with his heartbeat, throbbing with the surging torrent of his blood.

His legs had grown progressively thicker, the size of his thighs leaving almost no gap between them when he stood.

Glancing at the Skill Level for Flying Leg, Xu Yunfan rubbed his hands together, overjoyed. He hadn’t neglected this Kung Fu at all these past few days. After five days of intense training, he was only about forty points away from advancing to Great Mastery.

It would only take another day or two at most.

Ever since achieving First Level Great Mastery, his training speed for other Kung Fu, aided by the Attribute Panel, had become much faster.

At that point, with Great Mastery of Muscle Training, he would have achieved Great Mastery in both Muscle and Skin Training. He could then tell others he was a Second Level Martial Artist.

A Second Level Martial Artist was at least several times stronger than a First-Level Martial Artist. Their Great Tendons could snap like cracking thunder, and their physical constitution would undergo a huge leap forward. Muscle Training, in particular, developed Endurance.

Martial Masters who achieved Great Mastery of Muscle Training all possessed immense Endurance. After a high-intensity battle, the most profound experts would only be slightly out of breath, their faces not even flushed.

Martial Masters with Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation, on the other hand, excelled at developing strength. They could make their skin as tough as old cowhide. Although not comparable to a Martial Artist focused on a Cross Training Skill, their strength could reach eight hundred to a thousand pounds, which was astonishing.

A Second Level Martial Artist like Xu Yunfan, with his exceptional combat abilities, would be a hot commodity anywhere he went. Naturally, he wanted to choose a good Sect to settle down in.

He looked up at the horizon. The setting sun was the color of blood, its dim yellow afterglow gradually being swallowed by darkness as the moon began to rise silently on the other side.

Xu Yunfan happened to walk to the edge of the courtyard and looked at the wall on the opposite side.

He channeled strength into his feet, his toes gripping the ground. The muscles in his legs instantly tensed and bulged like a powerful bow drawn taut, ready to be released.

As he gathered power, his Great Tendons vibrated violently like thick steel cables, emitting a low hum.

CRACK!

The stone tile beneath his feet instantly shattered under the immense force.

Using the momentum, Xu Yunfan shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, his body a blur.

In the blink of an eye, he had already landed steadily at the base of the opposite courtyard wall.

He had crossed a distance of over ten meters in a single leap!

Xu Yunfan’s expression was a little strange. He felt that his exertion of force had been somewhat hollow; he still had strength left that he hadn’t used.

The paving stone had been a bit unstable.

He glanced back to the south, in the direction of the inn where Qin Bo and Fei Yao were staying.

The next morning, Xu Yunfan’s attention was once again drawn by a knock on the door. He slowly stopped swinging the long-handled, wooden-shafted Iron Hammer in his hands.

He threw on a shirt, went to the door, and opened it. When he saw the visitor, Xu Yunfan’s eyebrow twitched.

Standing before him was Qin Bo, holding several gifts in his hands.

A smile appeared on Qin Bo’s face.

"Brother Xu, I’ve come today specifically to apologize."

Xu Yunfan was taken aback. He had not expected Qin Bo to adopt such a subservient attitude.

’For a disciple of the Thunderous Waves Sect, a Martial Master who has reached First Level Great Mastery, to act this way is truly unexpected.’ The sight even made him hesitate, wondering if his own killing intent was just a product of insecurity born from the constant troubles he’d faced since arriving in this world.