I attained sainthood through alchemy on the cliff.

Chapter 41 Aftermath, Returning to One's Heart

News of the horrific tragedy in the underground cave spread like wildfire among the surviving people of Black Mountain Pass, and then reached Qing Shi Town through the few martial arts school disciples who managed to escape.

The owners and core elites of the Rock and Gale martial arts schools were almost completely wiped out!

Iron Bone Martial Arts School Master Liu Zhenwei was seriously injured and fled in a sorry state. His personal disciple Han Li and most of the elites have disappeared without a trace and are suspected to have perished!

The Sun family father and son had already been murdered in their home!

In their struggle for a rare treasure, the three martial arts schools used villagers as bait, resulting in heavy casualties and nearly leading to a massacre of the entire village!

When these messages were finally pieced together and confirmed by the villagers who had escaped from the branch of the mine tunnel, the entire Black Mountain Pass was initially deathly silent, then erupted into earth-shattering cries, curses, and a complex mix of emotions from those who had survived the ordeal.

Amidst this overwhelming uproar, one name was repeatedly mentioned and sung, ultimately coalescing into the sole beacon of light and gratitude in everyone's hearts—Yang Jin!

It was he who stepped forward in the face of adversity and exposed the martial arts school's lies!

It was he who, like a god of war, blocked the powerful enemy when the insect swarm attacked, and directed everyone to escape to a way out!

It was he who killed the vicious Han Li, securing a precious chance for everyone to live!

Some even claimed to have witnessed Yang Jin returning from the direction of the underground cave, his aura terrifying, and that he must have severely injured the Centipede Demon King, causing the martial arts school to flee in defeat!

In a short time, Yang Jin went from being a "zombie-turned-death evil spirit" and "a pitiful boy being hunted down by the Sun family" to a hero who saved the entire village from disaster, possessing both courage and wisdom, and with great strength!

His previous act of "faking his death" to seek revenge was automatically interpreted by the villagers as him enduring humiliation and waiting for an opportunity.

The blacksmith's shop door was almost worn down by the crowd.

Widow Li and the carpenter Zhang, along with Ya Ya, carried a basket of eggs they had saved for a long time and some white flour they were reluctant to eat. Tears welled in their eyes as they insisted Yang Jin accept the food: "Child, your aunt doesn't know how to thank you... If it weren't for you, we..."

Ya Ya clung tightly to Yang Jin's leg, tilting her little face upturned, her eyes shining like stars: "Brother Stone... no, Brother Yang Jin! You're a great hero! When Ya Ya grows up, she wants to be as amazing as you!"

Carpenter Zhang brought over the only piece of good wood he had left, insisting on making a suitable piece of furniture for Yang Jin.

Hunter Wang brought over some dried meat.

Zhao Tiezhu and several hot-blooded young men even declared that they would follow Yang Jin from now on, and would never go against him if he pointed east!

Even the village head, who was usually timid and practically powerless under the Sun family, came tremblingly to their door, tears streaming down his face, saying that he would definitely write down in detail the crimes of the three martial arts schools and the Sun family in a petition and report it to the county government! He begged the government to uphold justice and severely punish the evildoers!

Yang Jin's heroic deeds are naturally a prominent feature in the case file.

Faced with the villagers' sincere and heartfelt gratitude, Yang Jin felt a mix of emotions.

He did these things initially only to avenge himself and Shi Gong, but later it was more out of genuine anger; he never thought of becoming a hero.

But he also knew that this reputation as a "hero" and the villagers' trust might be an invisible help to what he was going to do next.

He readily accepted everyone's gratitude, but politely declined most of the money and gifts, only accepting some food and practical items.

He remained noncommittal about the intentions of carpenter Zhang, Wang Chuan, and others to follow him, only telling them to first appease their families and get back to normal life.

The disguised identity of "Stone" no longer needs to be hidden.

When Yang Jin washed away the charcoal ash, revealing a handsome face with distinct features and a calm gaze, the villagers simply exclaimed, "The hero is indeed extraordinary," without much surprise.

The commotion and gratitude lasted all day until night fell again, and Black Mountain Pass gradually returned to calm. But beneath this calm, a vitality and anticipation that was completely different from the past was surging.

Inside the blacksmith's shop, the fire in the furnace had long since gone out.

Chen Shan sat on his worn-out stool, slowly smoking his pipe, the embers flickering in the dim light.

Yang Jin sat opposite him, wiping the wood-chopping knife that had accompanied him through many bloody battles, the blade reflecting the flickering flame of the oil lamp.

"How does the daytime scenery feel?" Chen Shan exhaled a smoke ring, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Yang Jin put down his wood-chopping knife and shook his head: "It feels a bit unreal. But... I feel more at ease. If Master Shi knew that so many of the villagers in Black Mountain Valley had survived, he would be very pleased."

Chen Shan was silent for a moment, then nodded: "You did better than I expected. Not only did you avenge yourself, but you also saved people and gained an incredible opportunity. Liu Zhenwei schemed and plotted, but in the end, he ended up like this. It can be considered retribution."

He paused, tapping his pipe lightly on the corner of the table, his expression turning serious: "Do you remember our deal? I'll teach you skills, and you'll have to do three things for me."

Yang Jin sat up straight: "I remember. Uncle Chen, please go ahead."

"The first thing," Chen Shan's eyes flashed with cold light, "I originally wanted you to kill Liu Zhenwei with your own hands when you were strong enough, to settle this grudge completely for me and for yourself."

Yang Jin's gaze sharpened slightly as he awaited further instruction.

"However," Chen Shan changed the subject, "even if Liu Zhenwei manages to escape back to Qing Shi Town after this battle, he will be at his wit's end. The Pan Shi and Ji Feng martial arts schools have been almost wiped out. Their remaining forces and connections will never let this blood debt go unpunished. Once the village head's complaint is submitted, the government will definitely take action to appease the locals and quell public anger. Liu Zhenwei is already trapped and will surely die. This matter is now considered closed; there's no need for you to take any more risks."

Yang Jin nodded; Liu Zhenwei's fate was indeed foreseeable.

"As for the second and third matters..." Chen Shan gave Yang Jin a deep look, "The time is not right. I will tell you when you leave this Black Mountain Pass, see a wider world, and reach a new level of strength. Telling you now will not do you any good."

Yang Jin did not press further, but solemnly promised, "Uncle Chen, rest assured, as long as it doesn't go against my conscience, I will definitely complete it within my capabilities."

"Alright." Chen Shan smiled slightly, then quickly suppressed it. "The grudges are temporarily set aside; the road ahead is long. You have now entered the Body Refining Realm and undergone the Transformation of Meridians and Marrow Cleansing, your foundation far surpassing your peers. It's time to learn the cultivation methods of the Body Refining Realm."

He stood up, still hunched over, but now seemed to possess the imposing presence of a deep pool and a towering mountain.

"The Skin Refining Realm focuses on polishing the skin and refining the Qi and blood, filling the skin with Qi and blood to increase strength and defense. It can be considered the foundation for martial arts," Chen Shan said slowly. "The Flesh Refining Realm, on the other hand, goes a step further on this foundation! It requires penetrating the Qi and blood deep into the muscles and fascia for a deeper level of tempering and control!"

He stretched out his withered fingers and pointed to his arm: "You see, in the Skin Refining Realm, most of the Qi and blood flow under the skin. When exerting force, the skin turns red or displays the unique color of the cultivation method. But in the Flesh Refining Realm..."

Chen Shan's arm trembled slightly, without any apparent exertion, yet the muscles in his thin arm instantly tightened and bulged, each muscle clearly defined like a steel wire rope, with a layer of solidified blood and qi flowing beneath his skin, as if containing explosive power!

"Qi and blood penetrate the flesh, condensing and not dissipating! This allows muscles to instantly unleash several times their usual strength, with exquisite control, combining both hardness and softness! Ordinary punches and kicks, imbued with condensed qi and blood, become exponentially more powerful, capable of splitting stone tablets and shattering rocks with ease. Furthermore, one can begin to achieve 'qi and blood leaving the body,' attaching to weapons to form 'blade qi' or 'sword qi,' or even injure enemies from a distance. Although the range and power are limited, it is already worlds apart from the Skin Refining Realm!"

Yang Jin was captivated by what he saw.

In his previous battles, he relied more on the defense of Iron Rock Skin and the "momentum" and brute force contained in the "Mountain Splitting Style." His refined use of Qi and blood was indeed still at the level of Skin Refining.

"Although you now have a solid foundation and abundant qi and blood far exceeding that of ordinary early-stage Body Refining Realm cultivators, you still lack the methods for 'condensing' and 'microscopically controlling' your qi and blood," Chen Shan said. "I will pass on to you a breathing guidance method from the Body Refining chapter of the 'Raging Bull Bone Forging Strength'. Although it is only a mid-grade Yellow Rank method, it is balanced and peaceful, making it most suitable for building a foundation. Combined with your 'Furnace Breathing Method,' it can accelerate the process of qi and blood tempering muscles."

"Furthermore, you have mastered the 'Mountain Splitting Style' to perfection, capturing its 'momentum.' However, the techniques are ultimately crude. Today, I will use the true meaning of 'Mountain Splitting Style' as a foundation, combined with the wonders of blood circulation in the Body Refining Realm, to impart to you a true Body Refining Realm martial art—'Three Strikes to Sever the Mountain'!"

Chen Shan's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if he had returned to the days when he was full of vigor and ambition.

"The Three Strikes to Sever Mountains, as the name suggests, consist of only three moves. The first strike, 'Splitting Stone,' involves concentrating qi and blood in the fist and palm for an instantaneous burst, aiming for ultimate penetration and tearing, specifically designed to break through hard-style defenses. The second strike, 'Crushing Mountain,' involves qi and blood surging throughout the body, building up momentum for a powerful, wide-range strike with immense force, possessing the power to crush mountains and split the earth. The third strike, 'Severing Mountain,' is a combination of the first two strikes, where essence, qi, spirit, and blood are concentrated to their extreme, transforming the palm into a blade, or attaching it to a weapon, unleashing a strike to sever mountains—a desperate, life-or-death move!"

As he explained, he slowly and clearly demonstrated the techniques for generating power in the three strikes, the pathways for the flow of qi and blood, and the corresponding breathing rhythm.

The moves may seem simple, but they perfectly blend the essence of the Body Refining Realm's blood and qi condensation, explosion, and control with the profound and resolute meaning of the "Mountain Splitting Style"!

Yang Jin was completely focused, imprinting every detail into his mind.

He possessed the "accumulation of power" conception of the demonic ape, and his understanding of "power" far surpassed that of ordinary people. At this moment, listening to Chen Shan's explanation of "Three Strikes to Break the Mountain," he felt that many things suddenly became clear, and the vague feelings he had before became extremely clear.

"Thank you for passing on your skills, Uncle Chen!" Yang Jin stood up and bowed respectfully.

He knew that although the "Three Strikes to Break the Mountain" might not be of the highest grade, it was the most suitable martial art for his current stage and could maximize his fundamental advantages!

"Practice hard." Chen Shan waved wearily, but his eyes were full of expectation. "After the Black Mountain Pass matter is settled, you should go out and travel. Qing Shi Town? Or somewhere even further? Think it over carefully. Before you leave, try to master these two martial arts techniques. The outside world is much more exciting than this Black Mountain Pass, and also... much more dangerous."

As night deepened, the shadows of an old man and a young man stretched long by the lamplight inside the blacksmith's shop.

The flames of revenge have subsided for the time being, but the path of martial arts has just begun before the young man.