"A plan?"
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of both Yu Fujiu and Xie Yong.
Xie Yong asked tentatively, "Brother Su, what do you have in mind?"
Su Yu answered directly, "We have four people in the Muscle Forging Realm. We might not win if we attack the Wind Evil Stronghold, but what if we do it at Tiger Leap Gorge?"
"From what I’ve seen, Feng Han, the great chief of Wind Evil Stronghold, always stays put and defends his base. Since we agreed to make the exchange at Tiger Leap Gorge, it’s highly likely that Second Chief Feng Dakui and Third Chief Feng Yuncheng will be the ones to show up."
"That Feng Dakui is at the Tiger Tendon Realm, the mid-stage of the Muscle Forging Realm. The third chief is at the initial Ape Tendon Realm. With the four of us in the Muscle Forging Realm, our chances of winning are high if we team up against those two."
Su Yu looked at the two men and smiled faintly. "We don’t even need to kill them. As long as we drive them back, our families will save on the ransom, and we can get all our goods back!"
"Gentlemen, are you in on this deal or not?"
Xie Yong’s eyes lit up with interest the moment he heard the plan. His Golden Tiger Caravan wasn’t large to begin with. If he paid the thirty thousand taels of silver for the ransom, the caravan would be critically wounded, and the days ahead would be very difficult.
"Brother Su, this plan is indeed viable!" Xie Yong gritted his teeth. "But that Second Chief Feng Dakui is a master of the Tiger Tendon Realm. He’ll be a tough one to deal with!"
In response to Xie Yong’s concern, Su Yu said calmly, "Leave Feng Dakui to the two of us from the White Ape Caravan. As for Third Chief Feng Yuncheng, I’ll leave him to Brother Yu and Brother Xie to handle together. How does that sound?"
"Excellent!" Xie Yong’s face lit up with joy, and he slapped his thigh. "Brother Su, you are truly righteous to take on the toughest nut to crack. I am impressed! If you and Miss Lin can hold off Feng Dakui, Patriarch Yu and I can team up against Feng Yuncheng of the Ape Tendon Realm. We’ll defeat or even kill him in a matter of minutes! Then, once we’re free, the four of us can surround Feng Dakui. He won’t be able to escape even if he grows wings!"
In contrast to Xie Yong’s euphoria, Yu Fujiu’s expression turned cold.
He didn’t hesitate to pour a bucket of cold water on the idea. "Younger Brother Su, your plan sounds feasible, but it’s far too crude! To put it bluntly, it’s arrogant and reckless!"
"What do you mean by that, Brother Yu?" Su Yu asked, his expression unchanging.
Yu Fujiu sneered. "Tiger Leap Gorge is only a few dozen li from the Wind Evil Stronghold’s nest. Even if we manage to tie up those two, what happens if they fire a signal arrow for help? A large force from the stronghold could arrive at full gallop in forty-five minutes at most! If the great chief Feng Han himself comes charging over, we wouldn’t be able to escape with so much cargo, even if we managed to flee!"
"What’s more, what will you do if Feng Han himself leads the group to the exchange?"
Facing Yu Fujiu’s aggressive questioning, Su Yu simply lifted his teacup calmly. "Patriarch Yu has a point. If the great chief Feng Han comes in person, we’ll immediately pay the ransom for the goods and cancel the plan. But if he doesn’t, we should naturally take a bite of this juicy piece of meat."
"As for Patriarch Yu’s concern about reinforcements arriving too quickly and us being unable to take the goods..."
As Su Yu spoke, he raised his right hand and gently swiped the simple, archaic ring on his left index finger.
The next moment, a silver ingot appeared in his hand.
"A Storage Ring?"
Seeing this, Xie Yong burst out laughing. "Excellent, excellent! With a spatial artifact like this, the plan is completely feasible! As long as we’re fast enough to load the smaller, valuable goods into the Storage Ring, we can retreat immediately even if Feng Han arrives!"
An ugly glint flashed in Yu Fujiu’s eyes, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He simply continued to question, "Younger Brother Su, it’s not that I’m trying to find fault, but Feng Dakui is a master of the Tiger Tendon Realm! Are you two certain you can hold him off?"
"If you can’t, you’ll be dragging us all down with you!"
Su Yu was naturally aware of the Tiger Tendon Realm. He had learned about the cultivation of the Muscle Forging Realm from both Qian Qinghong and Lin Wanzhu.
After stepping into the Muscle Forging Realm, the Great Tendons transformed, and one’s combat power soared.
Next, one would continue the process of Muscle Forging until they broke through the first acupoint, the Tongling Acupoint. The Great Tendons would transform again, becoming Ape Tendons, and one would step into the Ape Tendon Realm!
An expert in the Ape Tendon Realm could stretch and snap their Great Tendons in exaggerated ways, like a Spiritual Ape. Their explosive speed and the flexibility of their movements were far beyond what a Martial Artist who had just entered the Muscle Forging Realm could compare to!
And beyond that, a Martial Artist would continue their arduous training. When they finally broke through the White Tiger Hub connecting their shoulder blades, their Great Tendons would undergo another qualitative change, transforming into terrifying Tiger Tendons!
Once the Tiger Tendons were formed, every inch of the Martial Artist’s fascia would be filled with the savage power of a ferocious tiger. When they unleashed their strength, the terrifying tearing force and power would be enough to crush a Martial Artist who had just entered the Muscle Forging Realm!
Although Su Yu’s foundation was profound, possessing a supreme-grade Root Bone and the support of his Perfection-level Black Stone Body Forging Skill, his physical foundation alone in his normal state was probably only on par with an expert of the Ape Tendon Realm, perhaps even slightly inferior.
Let alone dealing with an expert of the Tiger Tendon Realm!
However, his trump card had never been his Root Bone or physical body, but his terrifying Breaking Limit Traits!
His Demon Ape Evil Qi and White Ape Zenith Aura were both at the Perfection level. With their enhancement, fighting above his Realm was a regular occurrence.
This was especially true for the Demon Ape Evil Qi. The more people he killed, the stronger the Evil Qi became. As Su Yu’s kill count rose, it would only grow more powerful!
This was the source of Su Yu’s confidence in daring to face an enemy of the Tiger Tendon Realm!
If he still couldn’t win, he would activate his White Ape Transformation. His attributes would double again, and an enemy of the Tiger Tendon Realm would definitely be no match for him!
"Patriarch Yu, if you don’t believe in my strength, why don’t we have a friendly spar to test it?"
"Fine!"
Yu Fujiu’s eyes turned cold. It seemed he had wanted to fight all along.
Without another word, Su Yu stood up and walked toward the courtyard.
The group moved into the courtyard, where Su Yu and Yu Fujiu stood in the center, creating some distance between them.
Xie Yong gave an awkward smile and said, "Gentlemen, we’re all allies here. Let’s keep it to a single move and stop before anyone gets hurt. Don’t damage our harmony."
Stroking his goatee, Yu Fujiu spoke with an arrogant tone, "Don’t worry, Younger Brother Xie, this old man knows his limits. We Martial Artists always let our strength do the talking. I may not be the most talented, but I have immersed myself in the Martial Arts for many years and have reached the Ape Tendon Realm! Today, I will use one move from my Yu family’s ultimate skill, the ’Mountain-Crushing Stele-Shattering Hand’. If Younger Brother Su can take this palm strike without retreating, I will believe you can hold off Feng Dakui of the Tiger Tendon Realm!"
Su Yu replied with a calm expression, "I have also just entered the Ape Tendon Realm. In that case, I will use a move called ’Mountain-Toppling World-Crumbling Strike’ and ask for Brother Yu’s guidance."
He casually told a lie, hiding the fact that he had only just entered the Muscle Forging Realm. After all, if people knew he could fight someone in the Tiger Tendon Realm while only being at the initial stage of Muscle Forging, it would be too conspicuous and might lead to unnecessary trouble.
"Then let us begin!"
Yu Fujiu took his stance, power exploding from the soles of his feet. In an instant, his figure crossed several zhang and appeared before Su Yu.
His right hand formed a palm, striking down toward Su Yu’s chest with the terrifying momentum of Mount Tai crashing down! The palm strike was as fast as a raging thunderstorm. The violent force blasted through the air, creating a piercing sonic boom. A turbulent shockwave rampaged through the small courtyard, causing the lanterns under the eaves to swing wildly!
’What a powerful Mountain-Crushing Stele-Shattering Hand!’
Xie Yong, who had retreated to a distance, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’He truly is a veteran expert of the Ape Tendon Realm! Yu Fujiu’s palm strike perfectly combines the terrifying explosive power of the Ape Tendons—like a fully drawn bowstring snapping—with his own heavy, mountain-crushing momentum! Su Yu is in some danger now!’
As for Su Yu, facing this palm strike, he momentarily seemed to see a giant palm, glowing with a dazzling golden light, pressing down like a hundred-zhang-tall mountain, about to crush him to death.
However, the next moment, his Trait, Shattering Illusion and Revealing Truth, activated on its own.
His Spirit Platform became clear, impervious to all evils, and unstained by dust. All illusions, spiritual pressure, and phantom techniques were laid bare before this clear mirror.
The so-called mountain-crushing pressure and golden-light illusion instantly melted away like snow in the sun before his mirror-like Spiritual Power!
Without the oppressive interference of the momentum, Su Yu’s Qi and Blood, vast as a great river, flowed through him in an instant!
Without any fancy moves, he instantly compressed all the Qi and Blood in his body into a single point in his right fist, reaching the absolute limit his physical body could withstand.
Then, he threw a straight punch!
BOOM!
As the fist whistled through the air, a domineering White Ape Zenith Aura erupted.
This Perfection-level aura, like an ancient Demon Ape roaring at the heavens, instantly crushed Yu Fujiu’s prized mountain-crushing momentum!
"What?!"
Feeling his momentum instantly crumble, the pride in Yu Fujiu’s eyes was replaced by shock and terror!
’My aura was broken?’
’No, not just broken—it was suppressed!’
’How is this possible! How old is this kid? How can his comprehension be so monstrous! He actually comprehended a Perfection-level aura?’
With his momentum shattered, Yu Fujiu’s Qi and Blood stagnated for a moment, and the power of his palm strike instantly dropped by thirty percent!
In the instant that this thought flashed through his mind, a fist and a palm had already collided violently in mid-air!
BANG!
A dull thud echoed through the courtyard.
The Fist Force from Su Yu’s White Ape Zenith Aura instantly shattered his opponent’s palm force, exploding in the center of his palm.
The force generated after reaching the Muscle Forging Realm was no longer as obvious as the Ming Jin of the Flesh Refining Realm, which boomed and roared with every strike. Instead, guided by one’s aura, it became more subtle, its edge hidden within the momentum, just like Qi and Blood.
But this force was even more terrifying. With Qi and Blood as its foundation and guided by one’s aura, it transformed into a special kind of Gang Force.
The eruption of this Gang Force was silent, yet all the more dreadful. If the Ming Jin of the Flesh Refining Realm were to clash with it, it wouldn’t last a single move.
It was like a wooden sword facing an iron one; no matter how large the wooden sword, it would be snapped in a single strike, completely unable to contend.
At this moment, Yu Fujiu could clearly feel that his opponent’s Fist Force was far more condensed and domineering. He was no match at all.
The next moment, he felt a wave of Fist Force blast into his body and erupt. A sweet, metallic taste of blood immediately rushed up his throat!
Knowing he was defeated, he flexed his Ape Tendons. Using the terrifying recoil, his body shot backward several zhang, barely managing to dissipate the destructive Fist Force!
THUD!
Yu Fujiu landed, the stone slab beneath his feet shattering into dust.
But thanks to the extraordinary resilience of a Muscle Forging Realm Martial Artist’s body and meridians, even though the punch had injured him, he relied on his powerful Qi and Blood foundation to forcefully swallow the blood rising in his throat, thus saving face.
Yu Fujiu hid his slightly trembling right arm behind his back, his once-ruddy face now somewhat pale. He took a deep breath and said:
"Younger Brother Su’s strength is indeed formidable! With your level of cultivation, and with Miss Lin assisting you, holding off Feng Dakui should be no problem at all!"
Su Yu’s expression remained calm, and he didn’t expose the other man’s pretense. He simply clasped his fist in a salute and replied, "Brother Yu let me win. Your ’Mountain-Crushing Stele-Shattering Hand’ is also unfathomably profound. Defeating Third Chief Feng Yuncheng will surely be as easy as reaching out to grab something."
Xie Yong, who had been watching the entire time, saw the result and burst into laughter. "HAHAHA, you are both incredibly strong! This operation against the Wind Evil Stronghold is destined for success! Patriarch Yu, to avoid any unexpected complications, how about we set the meeting with the Wind Evil Stronghold for tomorrow?"
"Agreed! We’ll make our move tomorrow!"