A single stone lock weighing one thousand jin. That represented the strength of a fifth-level Bronze Armament Master. Yet, this boy looked no older than most of them, perhaps even younger than several. How could he possess such immense power?

In this world, there were no cultivation arts like Dou Qi. The so-called strength of a Bronze Armament Master was purely forged through rigorous training. Since the bones of the young are not fully developed, training with excessively heavy loads during adolescence could be counterproductive, which is why few below the age of eighteen achieved the sixth level or higher.

It was for this very reason that White had been so excited when Chen Feng lifted the heavy stone lock—not because, as Chen Feng had assumed, White was ignorant of the world.

Now, seeing the red-haired youth effortlessly holding the one-thousand-jin stone lock less than a meter from A Can’s face, even the dullest mind understood that his cultivation far surpassed that of a fifth-level Bronze Armament Master.

It was akin to being able to carry a one-hundred-jin sack, but being expected to wield an eight-pound sledgehammer in combat with the same ease—it was simply impossible.

Chen Feng gently raised the stone lock in his hand, tossed it toward the sky, and then his right fist shot out like a venomous dragon, slicing through the air with a sharp sonic whistle, striking the center of the lock.

CRACK!

The thousand-jin stone lock instantly shattered into fine dust!

Not chips, not shards—but powder!

"In truth, I could have twisted you into a pretzel with one punch!" Chen Feng stated flatly. He spared no further glance at A Can near the fire, nor did he acknowledge Xiao Rou standing nearby, and simply turned to walk away.

Against those who provoked him, Chen Feng felt he had already shown considerable restraint this time.

Everyone watched Chen Feng’s retreating back, and a wave of chilling dread washed over them. The most fitting response to A Can’s arrogant boasts lay in the stone dust on the ground. To twist a man into a pretzel? This youth’s fist could easily turn someone into cauliflower florets, let alone a pretzel...

"A Can..." Xiao Rou finally snapped out of her stupor and rushed to the fire pit, pulling A Can away. Though A Can had acted wrongly moments before, he had grown up with her. Seeing him in this state brought a sharp pang of heartache.

A Can stood up, patting out the flames on his trousers. His hair was entirely incinerated, leaving him utterly devoid of the swagger he had displayed moments ago when flexing his muscles.

"He is a ninth-level Bronze Armament Master..." A Can’s head lolled to the side, and he immediately fainted.

Shocked and partially burned by the flames, his spirit could endure no more.

"A Can..." Xiao Rou screamed out loud.......................................................................................................................................................

Chen Feng cared little for the condition of the man named A Can, whether he lived or died. In his mind, the most crucial thing remained his cultivation.

For a powerhouse at the Dou Zun level to quibble over someone at the third level of Dou Shi would be an absolute joke if word ever got out.

Returning to the house, he sat quietly on the bed and took out a Purple Fire Crystal to continuously replenish the energy within his body.

He had considered using the training platform, but the ambient spiritual energy here was nearly half that of the world he had previously inhabited. Even with the training platform boosting absorption ninefold, it still wasn't as swift as utilizing the Purple Fire Crystals.

Absorbing the energy from the crystals, he felt the subtle shifts occurring within the domain power in his Dantian.

"If I were still in the magic circle back in the Dragon Domain, coupled with the training platform, reaching the fifth level of Dou Zun wouldn't take me even ten days!" Chen Feng mused inwardly.

After all, his current state was that both his mental power and physical cultivation surpassed his actual rank; the only deficit was the sheer quantity of energy. If energy were sufficient, he could advance several levels in a very short period.

He finished absorbing the energy from one Purple Fire Crystal in under fifteen minutes. Upon completion, he casually tossed the spent crystal aside and immediately retrieved a new one for absorption.

Though Purple Fire Crystals were precious, advancing one's cultivation was the righteous path; strength spoke the loudest, so he spared them not.

Just as he finished absorbing the tenth Purple Fire Crystal, a series of frantic knocks sounded at the door.

"Chen Feng, get out here!" Xiao Rou's enraged voice echoed from outside.

Chen Feng sighed and stood up, opening the door. "What is it?"

Large, bead-like tears were streaming down Xiao Rou’s eyes. "You... you..."

She managed only two utterances of "you" before failing to find words. A Can’s actions were entirely his fault, and Chen Feng bore little responsibility, but since A Can was the one injured, she felt overwhelming guilt.

A thousand words caught in her throat; even the greatest complaint seemed impossible to voice.

"If there's nothing else, I need to rest!" Chen Feng found women crying his biggest headache. Seeing her like this gave him a massive headache. She had saved him before, so he couldn't lash out—evasion was his only option.

"Don't use excuses like that!" Seeing Chen Feng retreating back into the room, Xiao Rou truly became angry and followed him in. "You injured A Can so badly..."

She stopped mid-sentence, catching sight of the ten Purple Fire Crystals lying flat on the bed. Her mouth dropped open, instantly silencing her.

The energy depleted, the purple hue had vanished from the crystals, leaving them sparkling and transparent, like exquisite diamonds.

"Chen Feng, how did you injure A Can?" White’s voice called from outside the door.

But before he finished speaking, another voice responded from behind him: "Uncle White, he didn't hit me. I fell into the fire and got burned myself!"

A Can had followed White to the door.

White strode into the room. "Can you two not settle whatever misunderstanding you have? Why resort to violence..." He trailed off mid-sentence upon seeing the pile of Purple Fire Crystals on the bed, his jaw dropping in astonishment.

"Are those... Perfect Crystals?" White's breathing grew shallow.

"Perfect Crystals?" Chen Feng frowned. "What are those?"

"Perfect Crystals are the supreme treasures used by Mingshi for cultivating and storing Mingsi power. Just one such Perfect Crystal can double a Mingshi's cultivation speed! But these things are exceedingly rare, truly priceless treasures. How do you possess them?" White stepped forward, picked up a crystal, examined it carefully, and stated seriously.

"Someone gifted them to me!" Chen Feng replied.

"Gifted..." The minds of the three present stumbled over the word.

However, Chen Feng was speaking the truth; the Purple Fire Crystals had indeed been given to him by crew members while he was aboard a ship.

"Since you say they are so valuable, as repayment for saving me, take them!" Chen Feng casually tossed the remaining few Purple Fire Crystals on the bed, as if discarding trash.

"Careful..." White anxiously caught all the crystals. A dizzy sensation momentarily washed over him, but as a sixth-level Bronze Armament Master who had seen some of the world, he quickly placed all the crystals back onto Chen Feng’s bed.

"I cannot accept them. They are far too valuable!" Saying this, he grabbed the somewhat stunned Xiao Rou. "Hurry and call your grandfather!"

"Oh..." Xiao Rou finally reacted and ran out quickly.

In that brief interlude, Chen Feng glanced at A Can. His burns were not severe, having been treated with salve, and he looked much better now; only his scorched hair was irreparable, forcing him to shave his head bald.

A Can now harbored no hatred for Chen Feng, but rather deep respect.

This was understandable. He had foolishly challenged a powerhouse; logically, Chen Feng could have killed him, yet he did not. How could A Can not be grateful?

"What is it?" The old man's voice was as placid as ever, suggesting nothing could shake his composure.

"Grandfather, you must come and see this quickly!" Xiao Rou said anxiously, unsure how to explain it.

"My goodness, what is all this commotion? You are a young lady; you must maintain your composure..." The old man entered with a smile, chastising Xiao Rou, but halfway through his lecture, he saw the Purple Fire Crystals resting on the bed and fell into a state of similar stupefaction.

"Perfect Crystals, they are actually Perfect Crystals..."

Even one who was deeply integrated with nature and perpetually calm could not remain so upon seeing such a sight.

"To store Mingsi for Mingshi cultivation—this must truly be an exceptionally precious item..." Observing the reactions of the others, Chen Feng became certain of its worth.

It was no wonder they were shocked. To suddenly learn that items he had treated as refuse were, in fact, priceless treasures was enough to stun anyone.

Recalling carefully, Ling Feng had once mentioned that Purple Fire Crystals were comparable to Yellow Jade Magic Crystals, a statement he had never fully believed. Now, it seemed their value definitively surpassed that of the Yellow Jade Magic Crystals!

But how could Ling Feng have known about this effect if she wasn't familiar with Mingsi back then?

The old man trembled slightly with excitement, taking one Purple Fire Crystal into his palm, gazing at it as if it were a sacred relic.

"These are things only the White-Robed Elders of the Church are qualified to use, I never thought I would see them..." He muttered to himself for a moment, then turned to White and the others. "The three of you step out for a moment. I need to speak with him alone!"

"Understood!" White responded, taking Xiao Rou and A Can with him, and carefully closed the door behind them.

Once the three were gone, the old man looked at Chen Feng. "You... just who are you?"

To produce ten Perfect Crystals in one go, and to shatter a one-thousand-jin stone lock with a single punch at the age of seventeen—no one would believe he was an ordinary person.

A Can’s burns were healing remarkably well with the water from the Cold Pool, which had a miraculous effect. The Cold Pool was over fifty li from the village, and villagers rarely fetched water from there. Only the old man, due to his fish farming, possessed the water, which is why Xiao Rou brought A Can to his home first, rather than a healer.

After reviving A Can and hearing Xiao Rou's account, the old man could reasonably deduce that Chen Feng’s cultivation likely had indeed reached the level of a ninth-level Bronze Armament Master.

After all, crushing a one-thousand-jin stone lock with one punch was something even an eighth-level Bronze Armament Master would struggle to accomplish!

But whether he was a Silver Armament Master? No one dared to even imagine. The gap between a Silver Armament Master and a ninth-level Bronze Armament Master was more than twofold, and no one who reached that level was under twenty-five.

To claim Chen Feng was a ninth-level Bronze Armament Master at seventeen was unbelievable; claiming he was a Silver Armament Master would be doubted first by A Can, let alone the old man.

"I..." Chen Feng hesitated for a moment. It seemed telling the truth about his identity was complicated.

However, sometimes silence was better. He decided, "My background is inconvenient to reveal, but the fact remains that I was gravely injured and you saved me. You need only know that I bear no ill will!"

The old man paused, then ultimately refrained from pressing further. While the Church governed this world, many powerful families existed, and it was common for their younger generations to wander abroad. Such matters were clearly beyond his understanding. Since Chen Feng stated it was inconvenient, it was best not to ask.

"Take these Perfect Crystals. Consider them my recompense for your care," Chen Feng smoothly redirected the topic. "My arrival here was highly covert, and I do not wish the Church to know of it. I trust you will maintain absolute silence!"

Religious power was formidable; for the sake of their faith, there was no telling if they might divulge his affairs. Chen Feng currently understood nothing about this world and preferred not to attract unnecessary trouble.

"Very well. I have always maintained distance from the Church; keeping this secret is simple enough. However, I truly dare not accept these Perfect Crystals—they are far too valuable!" the old man insisted, pushing them back.

Chen Feng shook his head. "To me, these few crystals are truly nothing. Please take them!"

He had originally acquired five thousand Purple Fire Crystals. Although he had discarded many while training, not realizing their value, he still had plenty left in his water canteen. Ten of them were indeed insignificant to him.

"Mmm..." The old man observed Chen Feng's resolute gaze and finally nodded. "Very well." He then carefully placed the ten Perfect Crystals on the bed.

A genuine smile finally appeared on Chen Feng's face.

Just then, a shout echoed from outside, followed by a hurried voice: "Teacher White! Teacher White! Something terrible has happened..."

Next came frantic knocking on the door: "Father! Hurry out!"

"What is it?" The old man rose and moved toward the door.

Though White was nominally in charge of this household as a sixth-level Bronze Armament Master, the final authority rested with the old man.

"Father..." White's face was etched with panic. "Bandits... bandits attacked, taking advantage of the Divine Arrival Festival! We hear they’ve already reached Bird Mountain Village, fifteen li away, and are demanding fifty thousand in tribute overnight, threatening total slaughter if they refuse! After Bird Mountain Village, they will surely come for Tiger Pond Village. The situation is critical; the village chief sent me to discuss countermeasures immediately!"

Fifty thousand? These bandits had enormous appetites. Even digging three feet underground, their small village couldn't possibly produce fifty thousand! The old man's brow furrowed into a deep knot.

Chen Feng stepped out of the house. "Perhaps I could accompany you? I might be able to lend some assistance!"

He had intended to remain uninvolved, but hearing talk of a village massacre spurred him to action. He was a man who repaid favors and retaliated against wrongs. White's family had treated him well, and he felt he owed them something. Bandits, by definition, were not tied to any religion, suggesting they wouldn't possess truly formidable experts. He felt no concern about leaking his cultivation level.

"Thank you!" The old man suddenly bowed deeply to Chen Feng.

P.S.: Today's update of twelve thousand words is complete. Please support with recommendation tickets and monthly passes... Hehe (To be continued. To know what happens next, please log onto www**com for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) First published.