"Watch closely, this is my Emperor Extreme Fist!" Emperor Yan extended his fist, around which dense black flames began to gather. Although the flames were rampant, they were confined by an invisible force to around an inch surrounding his small fist. As the flames accumulated and intensified, they churned more violently on Emperor Yan's fist.

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss"

A strange sound emerged, reminiscent of fingernails scraping against glass. The air around became unusually heavy and oppressive. 'Swoosh swoosh' two figures shot rapidly from different directions towards the scene. It turned out that Huo Ling and Wang Hui, both feeling the immense pressure, hurried over to see what was happening.

"Any martial art, in essence, is just the manipulation of Primordial Qi. As one's realm advances, one's own Primordial Qi can induce the surrounding nature's spiritual energy and even the destructive spiritual energy. In this way, the power of martial arts can be greatly enhanced. But fundamentally speaking, martial arts are still methods of using Primordial Qi."

"Among these methods, one involves condensing one's own Primordial Qi, compressing it to its limit! When the Primordial Qi is compressed to the extreme, its destructive power becomes extraordinarily tremendous." Using a technique that confines the sound into a thread, Emperor Yan whispered to Zhu Bufan, while Huo Ling and Wang Hui couldn't hear a thing.

"Among them, the compressive force of flames is the greatest, and this is the foundation of the Emperor Extreme Fist!" With astonishing brilliance bursting from his eyes, Emperor Yan's fist, now completely engulfed in pitch-black flames, trembled the space around it and ferociously struck toward the small lake.

"Emperor Extreme Fist? Emperor's Fury Explodes Mountains and Rivers!"

Like a mighty dragon emerging from the sea, the powerful flame force struck a bare rock mountain not far from the small lake. The boundless Black Flames wildly swept around, scattering thunderous power in all directions, dark flame columns erupted from the struck mountain; a fierce windstorm of spiritual energy blew everything aside from Emperor Yan haphazardly by the lake. The blue water of the lake, as if drawn by some force, pulled a massive amount of water into midair, towards the explosion.

'Boom!!'

A massive mushroom cloud erupted, instantly evaporating the water from the small lake without leaving a trace. The sweeping Black Flames that surrounded them were just a prelude to Emperor's Fury Explodes Mountains and Rivers. What followed was the real display of tremendous power, like a mini nuclear explosion, leaving everyone except Emperor Yan dumbfounded.

Moreover, the rock mountain, impacted by Emperor Yan's Emperor's Fury Explodes Mountains and Rivers, immediately became a giant deep pit larger than the lake itself. This single strike nearly flipped the ground to the sky. If Emperor Yan hadn't controlled the strength, the aftermath alone might have been enough to kill Zhu Bufan and the others. The water from the lake crazily surged towards the deep pit, under the power of Emperor Yan's Emperor Extreme Fist, the lake's surface area instantly more than doubled.

Havlimg performed Emperor's Fury Explodes Mountains and Rivers, Emperor Yan was evidently very weak; his usually plump face now deathly pale, his solid body seeming slightly ethereal.

'Swoosh'

A gentle breeze passed by, and Zhu Bufan instantly appeared in front of Emperor Yan, looking at his pale, extremely weak figure, Zhu Bufan's brow furrowed with heartache: "What happened? Knowing it would be like this, why did you still use the Emperor Extreme Fist?"

Seeing Zhu Bufan's worried look, Emperor Yan weakly smiled and said to Zhu Bufan, "Don't worry, this bit of exhaustion is nothing. I'll recover soon."

At this moment, Huo Ling also flew to Emperor Yan's side, while Wang Hui had left at some unknown time, toward an unknown destination. Seeing Wang Hui absent, Emperor Yan chuckled and said, "Hehe, this time that 'Master' should seriously think things over, right?"

"Silly girl!" Zhu Bufan patted Emperor Yan's head, speaking in a tone full of tenderness, while Emperor Yan slightly smiled, a red light flashing in her eyes. The cultivation method and Qi gathering technique of the Emperor Extreme Fist directly entered Zhu Bufan's mind.

"Alright, dummy, I need to go back and recuperate. During this time, I'll try to heal my injuries as quickly as possible. This consumption should fully recover in about ten days. Then, we can think of a way to get to the second layer of the tower. I have no time to entangle with these so-called powers. If anyone dares to hinder me, I'll show no mercy!" Having said this, Emperor Yan's figure blurred as she returned to within the Emperor Yan's Army, leaving only Zhu Bufan and Huo Ling.

"What exactly happened, tell me in detail." Gazing calmly at Zhu Bufan, Huo Ling spoke softly.

During the following period, Zhu Bufan still took every moment to cultivate and recover, while Wang Hui, as usual, brought Elixirs to Zhu Bufan every day. Zhu Bufan never hesitated and took them immediately without a second thought.

Moved by Zhu Bufan's complete trust in him, Wang Hui did not show his emotions but continued to check on Zhu Bufan's physical condition every day.

Seven days later, Zhu Bufan's injuries had largely healed, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Body Tempering Seventh Layer Heaven, just one step away from advancing to the Eighth Layer Heaven.

Opening his eyes, he noticed that Wang Hui had not come today. Over the past few days, Zhu Bufan had gotten used to Wang Hui coming over daily to check on his recovery, so he felt somewhat uneasy without his visit today.

With this thought, Zhu Bufan closed his eyes again, but this time, he began to comprehend the Cultivation Technique of the Emperor Extreme Fist that Emperor Yan had instilled into his mind.

Unlike the cultivation of Chenjiang Duanliu Break, cultivating the Emperor Extreme Fist does not require waterfalls or help from huge pieces of raw wood. The primary requirement for cultivating the Emperor Extreme Fist is to rely on one's own strength to open the seven marginal Meridians in both hands.

It turns out, besides the vital Eight Extraordinary Meridians, there are many other meridians in the human body that are not used during regular cultivation. These meridians are essentially neglected, and certain unconventional Cultivation Techniques may require these nearly abandoned meridians; hence, they are referred to as marginal meridians, suggestive that they are used in unconventional and non-orthodox methods.

Forming sharp spikes of Primordial Qi and under Zhu Bufan's guidance, it slowly began to open up those completely unused and extremely fragile meridians. With every advance of the Primordial Qi, Zhu Bufan felt a tearing pain in his hands, but he was already accustomed to such agonizing sensations.

Moreover, besides the pain, Zhu Bufan's progress in opening meridians was exceptionally smooth, surprisingly so, which was, in fact, thanks to the cultivation of Purple Cloud.

The Primordial Qi of Purple Cloud carries an invisible sharpness that can easily tear through anything, especially useful in meridian development which made it remarkably effective. Under Zhu Bufan's meticulous control, apart from the pain, the progress was astoundingly fast.

Three hours later, Zhu Bufan, soaked in cold sweat, had finally opened up all seven marginal meridians. When the Primordial Qi flowed through these meridians, Zhu Bufan felt an incredibly marvelous sensation; it was a magical feeling where the power of his martial skills could double.

"Who would have thought that opening these seven meridians would have such an effect!" Feeling his transformation, Zhu Bufan excitedly stood up. However, he soon thought about how terrifying the person who identified these seven useful meridians from the many abandoned ones was—it was none other than Emperor Yan, harbored within the ruined army of Yan.

"How powerful was Emperor Yan at his peak?" The earth-shattering punch of Emperor Yan left Zhu Bufan as shaken as the first time he witnessed Emperor Yan performing the Emperor Sword. Thinking of the other aspects of Emperor's Three Extremes, which complement each other, Zhu Bufan grew even more in admiration for Emperor Yan.

"Oh? Young brother, have you awakened from meditation?" Just as Zhu Bufan was feeling the miraculous changes in his body after opening the meridians in his hands, Wang Hui's voice came through. Looking up, Zhu Bufan saw Wang Hui walking into the wooden hut with a smile, yet there was an undeniable trace of sorrow between his brows.

"Hehe, today people from Lanyue Pavilion came again asking about my decision. I used the excuse that your injuries have not yet healed to turn them away. However, both the Family Head of the Lian Family and the Commander of Heiyan City seem to know you're hiding here. They haven't stepped into my territory but are just monitoring the periphery; I really have no way to handle this since I bear no grudges against them."

"I understand!" Upon hearing Wang Hui mention the Lian Family and the Black Dam Army, Zhu Bufan's eyes immediately radiated intense killing intent. Lian Xie, who caused his severe injuries, Zhu Bufan would never let him go, and Lin Ya, the Commander of the Black Dam Army, would have to settle his accounts after his recuperation. Now, hearing Wang Hui say that they had practically delivered themselves to him, Zhu Bufan naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.

"Young brother, what are you going to do?" Seeing Zhu Bufan getting up, Wang Hui was taken aback. Before Wang Hui could finish asking, Zhu Bufan merely smiled lightly and said, "Actually, it's nothing. I've been recuperating these days, and my body has become a bit stiff. Since the Lian Family and the Commander of the Black Dam Army are so generously sending people to help me train, it would be impolite to refuse their offer!

"Young brother, don't underestimate them. The people from the Black Dam Army are manageable, but those people brought by the Lian Family are criminals involved in bloody cases, getting paid as Bounty Hunters. Each of them is highly skilled, and rashly confronting them might not end well."

"That sounds like they are mercenaries. It seems the losses of the Lian Family are indeed substantial—to the extent that they are relying on mercenaries," Zhu Bufan mused with a cold smile. "Don't worry, no matter who they are, since they are coming after me, none of them will be returning back!" Saying this, Zhu Bufan strode out of the wooden hut.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.