The bandit chief, Sun Yang, had a terribly unlucky day.

His robbery attempt had targeted a super-powerful expert, resulting in significant casualties among his men.

That was just the start.

After rushing to Danyang City, hiring a doctor, and purchasing a large quantity of medicinal herbs, he shockingly ran into the very same expert he had robbed earlier.

Trembling, he answered the expert's inquiries, only to be immediately captured by the Fang family’s forces.

The Fang family—they were the absolute overlords for hundreds of miles around Danyang City! In an open courtyard within the Fang residence.

“Your humble servant, Sun Yang, pays respects to the Young Master,” Sun Yang immediately knelt down.

“Young Master, after that man surnamed Teng left the slave market, he encountered this scoundrel and exchanged a few words with him.

This boy definitely knows that Teng fellow,” a man with triangular eyes spoke at length.

“Oh? You know someone named Teng?” Young Master Li sat on a chair and asked indifferently.

Sun Yang’s body trembled slightly, horror gripping his heart.

“Your servant knows him,” Sun Yang nodded repeatedly.

“Previously, I led some of my brothers in a robbery and ended up targeting this powerful master.” “Robbery?” A cold sneer touched the corner of Young Master Li’s mouth.

“And he didn't kill you all.” “No,” Sun Yang replied quickly.

“When that man was robbed by us, he simply slapped a camel-beast.

The beast smashed directly into our crowd and exploded.

The shattered bones exploded outwards like hidden projectiles, causing many of our brothers to die or be injured.

We fled in terror; the man didn’t pursue us further.” Young Master Li frowned.

‘Fang Hong’ and the thin, wiry man named ‘Chang,’ standing behind him, also frowned.

“What else do you know?” Young Master Li inquired.

“Your servant knows nothing else,” Sun Yang shook his head repeatedly.

“Good.

Scram,” Young Master Li said impatiently.

“Yes, yes.” Sun Yang retreated in terror.

Soon, only Young Master Li and a few of his subordinates remained in the courtyard.

“Young Master,” the thin, wiry man named ‘Chang’ spoke up.

“To make a camel-beast fly with a single palm strike, and cause it to explode, with the resulting bone fragments acting as projectiles—this man is powerful! He is very likely a Martial Saint!” Young Master Li glanced at the tall, middle-aged man beside him, ‘Fang Hong,’ who was frowning slightly but remained silent.

“Hmph!” “Whether he is a Martial Saint or not, we will know soon enough!” Young Master Li rose and walked directly out of the courtyard, the others following close behind.

At the Fang residence, in Young Master Li’s private training ground.

A four-wheeled carriage, cast primarily from black metal, sat near the edge of the training ground.

Welded onto this carriage was a massive iron cage constructed from iron bars as thick as a man's arm.

The great iron cage was fixed to the carriage, the two parts forming a single unit.

“Roar~~” “Roar~~” Inside the iron cage was a savage-looking man with unkempt hair reaching his waist.

The man was nude, wearing only a strip of animal hide around his loins.

Despite the severe cold, he remained bare-chested.

His lean, robust physique looked forged from steel.

His eyes, slightly reddish, resembled those of a fierce beast, issuing low growls toward Young Master Li and his group entering the training ground.

“Hmm, the ferocious beast is hungry.

Have someone prepare its evening meal,” Young Master Li commanded.

“Yes, sir.” Young Master Li approached the carriage cage, carefully observing the savage, his eyes gleaming as he clicked his tongue in admiration.

“Look, what a strong body.

This ferocious beast slave seems to be only fifteen or sixteen years old...

yet he possesses such incredible strength.” In the cage, the savage youth, referred to as the ‘ferocious beast,’ stared intently at the humans outside the bars.

This savage youth had iron chains on both hands and thick iron chains on his feet.

These were specially made; even the savage youth’s strength could not break them.

“Young Master,” several attendants specializing in caring for the savage youth arrived and immediately bowed.

“Good.” Young Master Li walked over, took some wild game the attendants had brought, picked up a still-living rabbit, and tossed it through a gap in the iron cage.

“Hah~~” The savage youth snatched the rabbit, tore it apart instantly, blood gushing out, and he lowered his head to rip off large chunks of meat, chewing and swallowing them down.

Seeing this scene, a smile appeared on Young Master Li’s face.

“Hu Hai!” Young Master Li called out.

Immediately, a short man with several scars on his face stepped forward and bowed: “Young Master.” “Tomorrow morning, I want to take the ferocious beast out hunting,” Young Master Li stated.

“Hunting?” The short man paused in surprise.

“Find a way to train the ferocious beast so it knows to attack people wearing white clothing,” Young Master Li said casually.

“That’s not a problem, is it?” “White clothes?” The short man pondered for a moment and then nodded.

Although he didn't understand beast language, sometimes training wild animals to perform simple tasks didn't require understanding their tongue; one only needed a way to make the beast understand the requirement.

Complex requests were impossible, but simple ones could work.

“Young Master…” Fang Hong exclaimed in alarm.

Young Master Li, however, chuckled.

“Fang Hong, that man surnamed Teng is staying at the inn, correct?” “Yes, Young Master,” Fang Hong replied, sounding worried.

“But…” “Don’t worry,” Young Master Li said with a light smile.

“It’s late now, and they are settled in the inn.

When they leave the city tomorrow morning… we will arrange to meet them coincidentally! Then, we can claim it was an accident that the ferocious beast broke loose.

Given the beast’s power… unless he is a Martial Saint, he certainly won't withstand it!” “If he doesn’t die tomorrow, I, Fang Li, will naturally extend a sincere invitation again!” “If he is killed by the ferocious beast, hmph!” Fang Li’s face turned grim.

“Then he deserves to die for being arrogant without the strength to back it up.

I’ll take his woman as well.” “Young Master,” Fang Hong cautioned, “that person might become enraged…” “Enraged about what? We didn't act; the ferocious beast did.

We will pretend to help restrain it then,” Fang Li chuckled lightly.

“As long as everything is set up properly, it will certainly avoid arousing any suspicion from that Teng fellow.

Moreover, we’ll bring a troop of men just in case!” Night.

On the third floor of an inn in Danyang City, Teng Qingshan stood before the rear window of his room.

“During the Yu Emperor Era, the Duanmu Continent only had a population of a few million.

Now, there are nearly two or three hundred million,” Teng Qingshan showed a faint smile.

“The level of prosperity here is hardly inferior to that of the Central Plains.” Through the rear window, Teng Qingshan’s gaze fell upon a luxurious carriage parked in the inn’s back courtyard.

A lame man was leaning against the carriage, puffing on a pipe.

Old Wang the Cripple—Teng Qingshan had once suggested he stay inside the inn too, but Old Wang refused, insisting that the carriage made of Cloud Mountain Wood and the Crimson Wind War-Rage beast were too valuable.

Thus, he insisted on sleeping in the carriage.

Smoke billowed around.

Old Wang sucked on his pipe, his eyes distant, lost in thought.

“This Old Wang, an expert in Inner Strength, yet he is willing to work as a mere carriage driver for a monthly wage of thirty taels of silver,” Teng Qingshan mused, slightly puzzled.

With Teng Qingshan’s strength, at a single glance at Old Wang, he could judge from the subtle nuances in his eyes and body posture—Old Wang was a master! Whether a person’s ‘spirit’ is strong can be judged by their eyes.

Dull, lifeless eyes signify a weak spirit.

The eyes of super-experts are usually as calm as a secluded deep pool, profound and immeasurable.

But when angered, their gaze can even feel piercing! “Yo——” A cry echoed from Li Jun’s room next door.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two shadows shot like lightning from the rear window directly into Li Jun’s room, one following the other.

With two great demon beasts at their side, the situation was terrifying.

Thus, the Gale Eagle and the Azure Luan usually flew freely high in the sky, naturally never straying too far from Teng Qingshan and the others.

With a single call from Li Jun, they would arrive.

They rested with Teng Qingshan’s group at night.

“I should practice my fist arts as well.

Since my Inner Family Gang Qi reached the mid-stage, a year has passed.

I feel I am just a hair’s breadth away from reaching the late stage.” Teng Qingshan’s Inner Family Gang Qi was extremely powerful; the mid-stage was capable of unleashing nearly 400,000 jin of force, and the late stage, according to Teng Qingshan’s estimation, should possess an explosive power of 800,000 jin.

Combined with his physical strength, the result would be astonishing.

Instantly— Teng Qingshan began practicing his fist arts inside the room.

Early the next morning.

Teng Qingshan, carrying an oversized bundle containing the chest of gold, had breakfast with Li Jun and Xiao Ping.

As for Old Wang, he sat on the carriage eating a few steamed buns.

“Alright, everyone prepare to depart,” Teng Qingshan, carrying the bundle, arrived in the inn’s back courtyard with Li Jun and the others.

“Master, I’ll put this bundle inside,” Old Wang said enthusiastically.

Li Jun and Xiao Ping exchanged strangely amused smiles upon hearing this.

“You’ll help me?” Teng Qingshan also smiled, gently placing the large bundle on the ground.

“Good, you do it.” This bundle contained ten thousand jin of gold, as well as the Samsara Spear and the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe.

To Teng Qingshan, such a large bundle felt as light as an ordinary package.

Old Wang jumped down from the carriage, grabbed the bundle with a smile, and exerted a slight force.

“Hm?” Old Wang’s expression shifted slightly.

“Old Wang, if you can’t lift it, just forget it,” Li Jun said, covering her mouth as she laughed.

“It’s nothing,” Old Wang refused to believe it.

Old Wang used his right hand to pull sharply, but the entire bundle trembled slightly and didn't move at all.

This sight made Li Jun and Xiao Ping beside him laugh out loud.

“Oh?” Old Wang set his pipe aside, grabbed the bundle with both hands, and inhaled deeply.

“Hah!” The massive bundle was finally lifted, but Old Wang’s face turned bright red.

Placing it properly inside the carriage compartment would be difficult enough.

“Old Wang, let me do it instead,” Teng Qingshan said, smiling as he took the bundle.

It felt like grabbing a feather.

He stepped onto the carriage in one stride, and the carriage didn't even sway slightly.

He then placed the large bundle deep inside the carriage compartment.

“Old Wang, what’s wrong with you?” Li Jun and Xiao Ping watched Old Wang, giggling.

Old Wang’s face, however, was filled with utter shock.

He already knew the bundle weighed at least ten thousand jin! Even a Xiantian Void Core expert, even if they could lift the package, how could they possibly walk up stairs without causing the wood to crack? How could they board a carriage so easily without causing even the slightest wobble? Ten thousand jin—how much did the carriage itself weigh? What kind of control was this? Old Wang finally understood… what kind of Master he was following! “Xiao Jun and Xiao Ping are in the carriage.

Old Wang, stop standing there stunned, hurry up and drive.

We need to leave the city early,” Teng Qingshan said, now mounting a different camel-beast and smiling.

“Yes, Master!” Old Wang responded loudly, his gaze toward Teng Qingshan entirely different from before.