C3 Boom Fist!

After Cui Yi's henchmen left Lo Chen's courtyard, they made a beeline for the Lo family estate.

"Young Master Lo Yuv, Young Master Lo Yuv, we have a problem! A serious problem..."

"What's all this racket about?" Lo Yuv, seated comfortably and sipping tea, asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Young Master Lo Yuv, here's what happened: I went to Lo Chen's home today to retrieve his body, just as you ordered. But to my surprise, not only had Lo Chen regained consciousness, he'd also become sharper and even advanced to a martial artist!"

"Hmm?"

Lo Yuv's composure wavered upon hearing this news. He reached out, yanked the underling to his feet, and pressed, "Are you saying Lo Chen has become a martial artist?"

"Young Master Lo Yuv, I swear it's the truth. I wouldn't dare deceive you, not for all the courage in the world!"

Lo Yuv studied his underling's face, which bore no trace of deceit, and commanded, "Recount exactly what happened at Lo Chen's house to me!"

"As you wish, Young Master Lo Yuv, I..."

The underling relayed the day's events without omitting a single detail and even showed him Cui Yi, who was teetering on the brink of death.

Lo Yuv sat back in his chair, deep in thought.

He had never imagined that the beating they administered would awaken Lo Chen's potential and transform him into a martial artist.

Lo Yuv glanced at the dying Cui Yi, grabbed a sharp dagger, and plunged it into his heart.

"Useless fool, you can't even take care of a simple task. What do I need you for?"

Cui Yi's cronies were petrified, too terrified to move a muscle.

Lo Yuv nonchalantly took a cloth from the table, wiped his hands clean, and ordered, "Get him out of my sight!"

Soon after, both Cui Yi's body and the bloodstains were thoroughly removed.

Lo Yuv's thoughts turned to Lo Chen, his face contorted with resentment.

"Lo Chen, the Holy Bone is destined to be mine, and no one can snatch it from me!"

...

As night fell, Lo Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, channeling the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth into his body, aiming to breach the acupoints scattered throughout his frame.

With a total of one hundred and twenty acupoints, breaking through every twelve would elevate his Body Tempering Stage by one level.

After all the acupoints were opened, one could absorb the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth into their dantian, reaching the Qi Condensation Stage.

Lo Chen was aware that once Cui Yi and his men left, they would surely inform Lo Yuv of the day's events.

Lo Yuv, fearing Lo Chen's return to the Lo family and the potential favor he might receive from Lo Wushuang, would undoubtedly seek to eliminate him. Therefore, after dinner, Lo Chen took his mother, Yu Qiulian, under the pretense of visiting his grandfather, and fled Lingnan City. They made their way to their old home in Cloud Gazing Village, thirty miles away.

He spent the entire night cultivating to enhance his strength.

[Ding! Your cultivation has reached the Second Body Tempering Stage, reward: 10 attribute points! Host can now further improve comprehension!]

Lo Chen's eyes sparkled with excitement. He understood the significance of comprehension. With his innate talent from the Innate Holy Bone, as long as his comprehension wasn't too low, the Body Tempering Stage would merely be a warm-up.

Looking at the remaining 21 attribute points, he declared, "Allocate all points to comprehension!"

[Ding! Allocation successful. Current Comprehension: 21!]

[Requirement: Do you wish to learn it?]

Without hesitation, he chose to learn.

[Ding! Exploding Fist has been learned!]

Lo Chen was thrilled. As a fan of web novels, he had always envied the fantastical abilities and cultivation techniques described within their pages.

Now that he had the chance to experience it firsthand, he was eager to put it to the test.

Under the cover of night, he ventured to a small forest over a mile from the village.

Following the martial technique's instructions, he clenched his fists and unleashed the Exploding Fist on a tree as thick as his waist.

Boom!

The sound of impact echoed through the forest.

The tree appeared to have been struck by a shell, cleanly severed in half.

Lo Chen was mildly surprised by his own strength; even a typical warrior at the Fourth Body Tempering Stage might not withstand such a blow.

Currently at the Second Body Tempering Stage, his punch already possessed formidable power. As his strength ascended to even greater heights, his fists might one day have the force to shatter mountains and rivers.

"As expected of a superior Spiritual Rank martial technique!"

Lo Chen, amidst his admiration, also recognized its limitations. Currently at the second level of the Body Tempering Stage, the force of his punch had depleted over half his stamina. The remaining energy was insufficient to launch a second strike.

Moreover, at his present level, frequent use of the Exploding Fist could indirectly harm his body. Without proper rest and recovery, it might even undermine his foundational strength.

Given his current state, it would be wise to reserve this technique for truly desperate situations.

After stretching out his muscles and tendons, Lo Chen made his way back to the village.

The following morning, before the break of dawn, Lo Chen was roused by the sound of horse hooves outside. It was unusual to hear such commotion near Lingnan City after such a long time.

Lo Chen initially chose to ignore it, but soon after, cries for help pierced the silence.

"Help! Bandits are attacking! Help!"

Upon hearing the alarm, Lo Chen leapt from his bed.

Cloud Gazing Village was close to Lingnan City, which was protected by a military garrison. Bandits typically wouldn't dare to raid a place so close to the city's defenses.

What could possibly embolden them to such audacity?

Lo Chen couldn't afford to ponder the reasons. The villagers were kind-hearted and simple folk, and this was Yu Qiulian's hometown. If the bandits were to massacre the village, it would be devastating.

He rushed to Yu Qiulian's room, finding her gripped by fear. "Mother, you and Grandpa should hide in the cellar. I'll go see what's happening," he said.

Yu Qiulian's eyes were filled with concern as she implored, "Little Chen, stay with me!"

Lo Chen understood his mother's fears, but with his strength now at the second level of the Body Tempering Stage, he was confident in his ability to defend himself.

"Mother, don't worry. I'm not the naive boy I used to be," he reassured her.

Seeing the resolve in her son's eyes, Yu Qiulian reluctantly acquiesced.

After ensuring his mother and grandfather were safe, Lo Chen stealthily made his way to the village entrance.

In the distance, several sturdy villagers had armed themselves with hoes, axes, and other farm implements, ready to stand against the bandits.

Upon Lo Chen's arrival, he turned his attention to the mountain bandits and noticed that their leader possessed the cultivation of the third level of the Body Tempering Stage.

The villagers, though numerically comparable to the bandits, only had an elderly village chief at the second level of the Body Tempering Stage, with the rest not even meeting the criteria of a martial artist.

Expecting these villagers to stand up to the bandits would be utterly futile, akin to throwing an egg against a rock.

"We've sent for help to Lingnan City to alert the City Guards. They'll be here shortly. Why don't you just leave?" the village chief, a man in his fifties or sixties, yelled at the bandits.

The bandit leader, with a hefty saber slung over his shoulder, sneered at the village chief and his people. "You think I'd raid this place without a plan? I've already cut down your messenger on the way. The City Guards are not going to make it!" he retorted.

"What?"