Lin Yan identifies the scam orchestrated by Zhang Dahai and Zhao Chuan who seek to steal his family property through predatory loans and fake medicine. Instead of confronting them openly he feigns ignorance and agrees to their terms to lull them into a false sense of security. He prepares poison and weapons waiting for the perfect moment to strike within a secluded courtyard. When Zhao Chuan attempts to examine his roots again Lin Yan activates his hidden strength and kills him instantly with a single punch empowered by his unique root bone. He then ambushes Zhang Dahai at the gate using pepper powder and brute force eliminating both threats without leaving evidence. He disposes of the bodies brazenly by pushing a cart through the city gate betting on the chaos of gang wars to mask his actions. Looting the corpses yields silver and IOUs which he burns to erase debts and prevent tracking. The gray branch of his martial arts tree produces a fruit containing months of cultivation time. He consumes this to instantly master the Rock Pillar Posture and achieve the Nourishing Foundation stage. This milestone establishes his modus operandi of turning predators into prey for resources. He realizes that killing martial artists provides exponential growth compared to normal training routines. The silver gained funds his initial training costs and secures food for his family. His aunt remains unaware of the violence believing he gained sponsorship from a relative. This success validates his cautious yet ruthless approach to survival in a lawless environment. He understands that mercy would have led to his family ruin. The act of killing solidifies his resolve to walk the dark path of cultivation. He cleans the blood from his clothes and burns them to remove forensic evidence. The inspection bureau ignores the death due to the gang reputation of the victims. Lin Yan returns home to continue training with renewed confidence in his cheat ability. He reflects on the recklessness of the act knowing he took a risk but deemed it necessary. The IOUs represented a debt trap that would have enslaved his family for generations. By burning them he frees his future from financial shackles. The martial arts fruit appears as a gray object hanging from the twisted branches in his mind. Consuming it feels like absorbing years of hard work in a single breath. His body strengthens visibly allowing him to lift heavy stone locks with ease. This physical change confirms his breakthrough to the neighbors. He maintains a low profile despite the sudden increase in strength.

Lin Yan joins the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall to learn legitimate skin smoothing techniques paying a high fee that strains his family finances significantly. He faces internal hostility from Senior Brother Ge Hui who bullies lower status disciples for money and favors. Lin Yan avoids direct conflict within the hall but prepares for retaliation outside the rules. He discovers Ge Hui hired gang members from the Black Tiger Gang to assassinate him using a traitorous neighbor as a guide. Lin Yan tracks the gang hall master Zhou Wu and kills him using stealth and poison powder before finishing him with fist techniques. He also eliminates the traitorous neighbor Zheng Bo to seal the leak. The martial arts tree grants him years of cultivation time from these kills accelerating his progress. He uses this to rapidly advance his Mountain-Splitting Fist to minor achievement levels. He achieves Single-Time Skin Smoothing much faster than peers shocking his master Yang Qingfeng with his talent. Ge Hui is later found murdered by unknown forces though Lin Yan suspects his own actions inspired the chaos or others took the opportunity. Lin Yan secures a position guarding herb fields for the Tang Family to stabilize income for medicine. He navigates hall politics by remaining humble while secretly growing stronger than his seniors. The death of Zhou Wu removes a local threat and provides crucial funds for medicinal ointments. This phase transitions him from a street fighter to a recognized disciple with institutional backing. He learns that institutional protection is vital for avoiding constant assassinations. The Tang Family connection opens doors to better resources and information. He buys muscle strengthening ointment to aid his skin smoothing process. His training becomes a cycle of killing to fund training and training to enable more killing. He realizes that without the hall badge he would be hunted by gangs constantly. The uniform grants him immunity from petty extortion. He observes other disciples struggling with costs while he bypasses barriers through plunder. Ge Hui death causes tension but the master suppresses investigation to maintain hall reputation. Lin Yan keeps his head down during the inquiry avoiding suspicion. He focuses on accumulating enough time on his martial arts tree to reach the next realm. The herb field job allows him privacy to cultivate without observation. He befriends senior brother Li An who provides useful advice on avoiding pitfalls.

Gangs displaced by the rising Four Seas Gang begin extorting Lin Yan neighborhood for protection money and resources. The Three Heroes Gang targets pregnant women for dark rituals to aid their cultivation breakthroughs. Lin Yan decides to eliminate Vice Gang Leader Zhao Kui to protect his teacher family and maintain local order secretly. He ambushes Zhao Kui at night using a mask and superior fist momentum gained from consuming previous martial arts fruits. The fight is short and brutal showcasing the gap between his optimized cultivation and ordinary martial artists. He loots the body and destroys the evidence to prevent tracing back to him. The Tang Family young miss Tang Tang notices his potential and adjusts retention rules to favor high-growth martial artists like him. Lin Yan reaches Second-Time Skin Smoothing within months far outpacing rivals like Zhao Linyuan in the hall. He moves his family to a safer district in South City to avoid gang retaliation and improve living conditions. The Wang Family begins investigating the death of their housekeeper Li who was killed by Lin Yan while hunting a treasure beast. Lin Yan uses the beast ears to boost his qi blood significantly for his next breakthrough. This milestone cements his reputation as a rising star while he quietly removes obstacles that threaten his peace. He understands that leaving threats alive invites future retaliation. The neighborhood respects him more after the gang disappears. His aunt worries about the danger but accepts the move to the city. He calculates the risk of attacking a gang leader versus the risk of letting them operate. The ritual involving pregnant women crosses a moral line for him. He views such cultivators as demons unworthy of life. The Tang Family policy change ensures he receives higher stipends for maintaining growth. He refuses escort duties to focus on personal cultivation instead of risk. The Wang Family investigation narrows down suspects but lacks evidence against him. He buries the bodies in the mountain to hide them from search parties. The treasure beast meat provides ongoing nourishment for his meridians.

Lin Yan targets the Cyan Bamboo Gang who are extorting merchants on mountain roads near the county town. He eliminates patrol groups to harvest cultivation time and brings his Mountain-Splitting Fist to Great Success with fist momentum. He kills the injured vice gang leader Yan Bin in a cave duel looting three hundred taels of silver from the stronghold. This funding allows him to purchase expensive elixirs for the Third-Time Skin Smoothing breakthrough successfully. The Wang Family Patriarch is killed in a mysterious massacre likely linked to Lin Yan interference with their schemes involving gangs and treasure beasts. Lin Yan successfully breaks through to Third-Time Skin Smoothing with support from the Lin Family sponsors and Tang Family pills. He becomes a Tributor for the Tang Family exchanging his stipend for bone tempering pills to aid further growth. The Zhou Family regrets rejecting his marriage proposal now that he holds real power and influence. The Inspection Bureau investigates high-profile murders but cannot touch Lin Yan due to his backing and lack of evidence. He stands at the threshold of the fourth realm viewed as a genius by his master and a valuable asset by the Tang Family. His caution ensures he survives the political fallout of the Wang Family destruction. He continues to harvest time from enemies to bypass the usual decades of training. The martial arts tree grows taller with each realm breakthrough reflecting his status. He plans to secure his family position before seeking higher realms. He uses the silver to buy vital tendon pills and secret medicine for meridian expansion. The fist momentum allows him to defeat opponents of higher realms easily. The Wang Family fall removes a major hidden threat from the county. He maintains a low profile despite his new status as a third-time expert. The Tang Family young miss sees him as a long-term investment for their clan. He balances his time between guarding fields and hunting for resources. The inspection bureau vice director murder creates a power vacuum he avoids entering.