Lin Yan slowed his pace, using the cover of the trees to approach stealthily.
Behind a large rock, five figures were either sitting or standing, chatting idly.
"Hall Master, why do you think the Vice Gang Leader is making us leave? The Four Seas Gang stole our territory, but what’s the big deal? We could just find a new place."
"And go where? You think the Four Seas Gang will stop after taking over West City? Once they’ve consolidated their hold on West City, it’s only a matter of time before they go after North City. And as for East City and South City... do you really think there’s any place left for us to survive?"
The man sitting on the rock snorted. Just as his words fell, the sound of wind whistled from behind him.
"Not good!"
The man’s expression changed drastically. He tried to get up, but he was a step too late.
A terrifying fist wind struck him. In the next moment, the man felt an unbearable pain in his back and collapsed to the ground.
Lin Yan’s sneak attack, a single punch, had killed him instantly.
The remaining four finally reacted. One grabbed a long spear, another reached for the blade at his waist.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
After a few more punches, only one person was left alive.
"Don’t... don’t kill me..."
Lin Yan looked down at him, staring into the man’s eyes. "I ask, you answer."
A short while later, there was a dull thud, and Lin Yan was the only one left alive on the scene.
After expertly going through the process of looting the bodies, Lin Yan began to contemplate his next move.
The two interrogations confirmed that the man from the Cyan Bamboo Gang earlier hadn’t been lying. The Cyan Bamboo Gang’s Gang Leader was indeed dead, and the Vice Gang Leader was injured.
’A Vice Gang Leader who just reached Second-Time Skin Smoothing six months ago, and he’s injured on top of that...’
’It’s hard not to be tempted!’
Lin Yan performed Introspection, looking into his mind. By now, quite a few fruits were hanging on the Martial Arts Tree. In total, they could be exchanged for twelve years of Cultivation Time.
’With my current strength, I might not be able to wipe out the Cyan Bamboo Gang. But what if I infused another twelve years of cultivation into my Mountain-Splitting Fist?’
With a thought, Lin Yan consumed all the Martial Arts Fruits.
BOOM!
Twelve years of arduous cultivation surged into his mind like a tidal wave.
It wasn’t memory, but experience branded into his very body.
Every punch thrown, every inch of muscle tensed, every cycle of Breathing—it all became instinct in this one moment.
Spring turned to autumn, cold turned to heat. Twelve years of splitting mountains, shattering rocks, and breaking logs exploded deep within his consciousness.
Fist shadows, fist shadows, a sky full of fist shadows.
It was impossible to say how much time had passed.
’A single breath? Or a quarter of an hour?’
Lin Yan opened his eyes.
He threw a punch!
There was no Technique, no build-up of power—just an ordinary, straight punch.
But where his fist passed, the air boomed.
The punch landed on the large rock.
BANG!
The boulder cracked apart, and stone fragments shot out like rain.
Lin Yan withdrew his fist and stood his ground, looking down at his hand.
The skin was the same, the bones were the same, but Lin Yan knew something was different.
The power of that punch was far beyond anything he could do before.
Lin Yan performed Introspection, observing the leaf on the tree in his mind that represented the Mountain-Splitting Fist. It had now turned completely golden.
’Mountain-Splitting Fist at Great Success!’
Twelve years of arduous cultivation had transformed the Mountain-Splitting Fist from a Technique into an instinct, and from an instinct into Momentum.
Before the fist is thrown, the Momentum arrives.
After the fist is withdrawn, the Momentum remains.
’Mountain-Splitting Fist at Great Success. Just as I predicted, my strength has increased dramatically.’
A smile touched the corners of Lin Yan’s lips. His plan had been to use these two patrol groups from the Cyan Bamboo Gang to bring his Mountain-Splitting Fist to the stage of Great Success.
If bringing Mountain-Splitting Fist to Great Success gave him a sufficient boost in power, he would make his move against the Cyan Bamboo Gang.
If the power increase wasn’t enough, he would have immediately left the mountain and given up on targeting the Cyan Bamboo Gang.
He never expected that reaching Great Success with his Mountain-Splitting Fist would allow him to develop Fist Momentum. His strength had practically skyrocketed.
’What comes after Fist Momentum? I can ask my master next time I see him. But now isn’t the time to think about that. I have to get to the Cyan Bamboo Gang’s stronghold. Otherwise, when that Vice Gang Leader realizes his patrolmen haven’t returned, he’ll definitely know something is wrong. Given how cunning that man is, he’ll probably grab his money and run.’

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