Chapter 12 A Breakthrough

• He was in Sky Gate Realm Level Five, so he possessed a strength of two thousand pounds, equivalent to the force of four fierce tigers.
• Francis didn't stand his ground. Instead, he kept retreating. Terry, with his arrogant and boisterous laughter, taunted, “What's the matter? Can't handle it? You're nothing but a good-for-nothing, not even brave enough to take a single strike from me!”
• Francis kept his lips tightly sealed, not uttering a word. He kept retreating while his adversary, Terry, continued to advance. Seemingly running out of patience, Terry suddenly released a surge of vital energy, bellowing, “Die!”
• In the blink of an eye, he astonishingly unleashed eighteen strikes.
• This move was somewhat familiar to Francis. It was the very same technique he had once observed in Technique Hall, the first-tier Yellow Grade martial skill, Eighteen Quick Slashes.
• In a fleeting moment, eighteen strikes were made, swift as the wind, leaving no room for defense. However, the drawback was that the force behind each strike wasn't particularly strong, even falling short of the power behind the previous strikes.
• Francis pursed his lips. This time, he retreated instead of advancing.
• Palm of Light was activated, its golden palm striking the two beams of sword light. Astonishingly, it shattered the sword beams into pieces.
• “How could this be possible?” Terry exclaimed in disbelief, his mouth agape.
• “How could it be impossible?” Francis chuckled, moving swiftly to close the distance between them. With no sword light to hinder him, his golden palm struck directly at his adversary's chest. The force of the blow caused Terry's chest to cave in, his bones breaking and muscles tearing. Blood spurted from his mouth.
• Terry collapsed onto the ground, fresh blood spewing from his mouth and nose. His chest was also gushing with blood.
• He watched as Francis steadily approached him, his eyes filled with immense fear. He forced himself to back away, pleading desperately, “Don't kill me... Don't kill me...”
• “Would you let me go if you were in my shoes?” Francis asked, a cold smile playing on his lips. With a swift movement, he struck the top of Terry's head, ending Terry's life instantly.
• After that, Francis killed Harry with a single palm strike.
• “It's not wise to linger here for long. Once Kain notices his two disciples have been absent for an extended period, he'll surely come. At the very least, he's a Sky Gate Realm Level Seven expert, far beyond my capabilities. In fact, without Palm of Light, even a Sky Gate Realm Level Five martial artist would be a challenge for me to handle. I better hurry up and leave this place, heading into Evergreen Mountain Range to hunt demonic beasts. Not only can I hone my skills, but I can also harvest the beasts' crystal cores. The demonic beasts' crystal cores are incredibly valuable, and they can be traded for spiritual stones or exchanged with others for martial skills, weapons, and so on... It's like killing two birds with one stone. Once Mr. Highmanes returns, I'll come back here!” Francis muttered.
• Francis had thoroughly searched the two individuals, hoping to find something of value. Unfortunately, as they were out with the intent to kill, they hadn't brought much with them. All he could find was a total of ten spiritual stones.
• Francis disposed of the two bodies into the river, a river known for its vast volume and rapid current. By the next day, the bodies would be swept away to an unknown location, impossible to locate. He also made sure to erase any signs of the fight that had taken place to avoid leaving any evidence for Kain to seize upon. It was clear to Kain that Francis was the killer, but without any proof, he couldn't be accused.
• After all was done, Francis packed all the spiritual stones into his sack and drifted away.
• In Evergreen Mountain Range, where peaks towered high and forests grew thick, numerous demonic beasts thrived.
• Within a secluded valley nestled in a dense forest, sounds of wind and thunder echoed, punctuated by the occasional glimmers of golden light.
• Francis was drenched in sweat, repeatedly practicing Palm of Light. At this point, he had mastered the technique to the extent that his Palm of Light moved with his heart, reaching a level of harmony between his eyes and hands that was almost as if they were one with his body.
• Once again, he practiced Palm of Light. Suddenly, it was as if a light bulb went off in his head. All the insights and understandings he had gained from his days of cultivation surged forth, flashing one by one in his mind.
• Francis' movements suddenly slowed down. He felt as if he was carrying a weight of a thousand pounds or as if he was executing his moves in a pool of glue. His movements were slow and sluggish. It took him a quarter of an hour to complete one round of Palm of Light exercise. Just at that moment, he let out a bellow, and his body surged with vital energy. A golden palm the size of a large fan appeared in front of him, crashing into a large bluestone.
• With just one strike, merely a single strike, he managed to shatter the massive bluestone that weighed no less than two thousand pounds.
• Level One of Palm of Light was cultivated to an advanced level.
• Following that, Francis sat down cross-legged once more. His previously stable cultivation showed signs of collapse. He stimulated his vital energy, repeatedly striking out. The vast vital energy continuously tore apart his physical body and meridians before reforming once again.
• Impurities were expelled from his body, forming a layer of black substance on his skin. His physique became more radiant and robust, more potent and refined. His meridians became wider and smoother, demonstrating increased resilience.
• His strength was continuously increasing.
• It was at one thousand and one hundred pounds, and it then increased to one thousand and five hundred pounds.
• Finally, when his strength increased to one thousand and five hundred pounds, his Level Three cultivation level collapsed with a thunderous crash. Francis experienced an intense wave of pain throughout his body, almost causing him to faint from the agony.
• He gritted his teeth and endured as a warm surge of vital energy circulated through his entire body, providing unparalleled comfort and leaving him feeling pleasantly warm all over.
• Francis opened his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
• He had already stepped into Level Four.
• Yet, he didn't stop there. Instead, he took out all the crystal stones, held them in his hand, and began the absorption.