Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 34: Breakthrough

At this point, Han Yu was ready to march to the city himself if he had to. But for now, he could only wait... and continue training under the ever-drunken Ghostly Man, who, much to Han Yu's irritation, still hadn't run out of nonsensical war stories.

Three weeks had gone by, and there was just one week left until the recruitment of the four sects would begin. Han Yu was growing more anxious by the day, but there wasn't much he could do.

'Do I really need to go to the city?' Han Yu wondered as he continued practicing the Bolt God Fist.

The more he thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed. He would have to walk for hours, and even if he left today, he wouldn't reach the city until late at night.

'The gates might close by then,' Han Yu thought. 'But if I leave early tomorrow, I'll have less time in the city. Let's say I spend two days there, then return here. That's three days gone, leaving just three more days until the sect recruiters arrive.'

Frustration mounting, Han Yu increased the speed of his punches, as if trying to beat his impatience out of himself.

HAAH! HAAH! HAAH!

Each grunt from Han Yu was accompanied by a gust of wind stirred by his fists. The Ghostly Man, watching from the side, suddenly felt a shift in the air. His drunken haze cleared slightly as his eyes narrowed.

'Wait a minute...' His eyes suddenly widened as he felt a ripple of energy surge from Han Yu.

BANG!

A sharp crack split the air as Han Yu's fist tore through it.

WHOOSH!

The force of his punch sent a gust of wind rushing forward, striking a tree in front of him.

Snap.

A small branch broke off and tumbled to the ground.

"Huh..." Han Yu froze, staring at the fallen branch in disbelief. "I... did that?"

While his punch hadn't yet produced the thunderous roar he desired, it had clearly reached a new level of power.

Then, as if on cue, he felt it—a surge of heat spreading through his body.

"UGH!" Han Yu groaned as pain surged through him.

"Sit down. Cultivate," the Ghostly Man ordered, his tone unusually serious.

"Yes!" Han Yu didn't hesitate and dropped into a meditative position.

"Focus on the overflowing energy. Let it spread evenly throughout your muscles."

Han Yu's breaths came in ragged gasps, but he fought to control them, willing the energy within him to obey.

Minutes passed, his body drenched in sweat. His robes clung uncomfortably to his back, his forehead furrowed in pain. And yet, through sheer determination, he held on.

Gritting his teeth, he concentrated, trying to evenly disperse the energy coursing wildly through his body.

An hour passed before the pain finally began to subside.

HUALA!

The energy within him suddenly stabilized, and a powerful wave of aura radiated outward.

The surge traveled from his core to his shoulders, then down his arms. Another branch sprouted from his core, spreading into his abdomen, down his spine, and into his legs. A few more minutes, and the energy settled completely, leaving Han Yu with an incredible feeling of strength.

"This..." Han Yu stared at his own hands, feeling the raw power within them.

The pain was gone, replaced by newfound vigor!

"I... I broke through?!" Han Yu leaped to his feet. "Haha! I reached the Seventh Stage of the Body Tempering Realm!"

He wasn't the only one surprised—the Ghostly Man looked equally stunned.

'He broke through way earlier than I expected,' the old drunk thought. 'Even with the Bolt God Fist, I estimated he'd need another month.'

And yet, the boy had exceeded all expectations.

"You saw that, right? I executed the Bolt God Fist, too!" Han Yu grinned proudly.

"That was barely a punch." The Ghostly Man scoffed. "At most, you're one percent done."

"But one percent is better than zero, right?" Han Yu beamed.

"Perhaps."

"This is great! Now I just need that pill, and I'll be able to reach the Ninth Stage of the Body Tempering Realm! No sect will be able to resist recruiting me then!" Han Yu declared with enthusiasm.

"Hmph!" The Ghostly Man snorted. "Still dreaming, I see."

"You just watch! As soon as Ox Hand is back, I'll finagle the pill out of his hands." Han Yu was brimming with confidence.

Annoyed by the boy's enthusiasm, the Ghostly Man waved him off. "Just give me my wine and leave."

"Oh? No cooked food today?" Han Yu smirked.

"Your presence would make it taste worse."

"Fine, fine." Han Yu tossed over a bottle of wine. "Oh, and if I don't show up tomorrow, it means I'm either in the city or I already found Ox Hand."

"Who's going to bring me my wine then?"

"You can get it yourself! How long are you planning to stay cooped up here?" Han Yu asked, genuinely curious.

With the man's abilities, he could easily hunt some beasts and buy his own wine.

"Hmph!" The Ghostly Man merely grumbled and took a swig from his bottle.

"Suit yourself." Han Yu chuckled as he walked away.

He made his way to the river for a quick bath.

'I'm so sweaty,' he thought to himself.

As he stepped into the cool water, a pleasant shiver ran through him. The usual chill no longer bothered him—yet another perk of breaking through.

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"This is nice. Who knew leveling up could make bath time more enjoyable?" he muttered, sinking deeper into the water.

Just as he was relaxing, he spotted a fish swimming near him.

His eyes locked onto it, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Oh, you poor, unsuspecting little guy," Han Yu whispered, cracking his knuckles. "I'm about to introduce you to a technique that's one percent complete."

The fish, sensing imminent doom, flicked its tail and darted away.

Han Yu lunged.

SPLASH!

His hands slapped the water, sending droplets flying—but the fish had already escaped.

"...Damn it."

On the riverbank, the Ghostly Man took another sip of wine and shook his head. "Idiot."