Chapter 748

Chapter 748: The World Inside the Bell (Part Three)

Chen Er Gou forcefully pinched the flesh on his arm.

The sensation was incredibly supple, akin to a well-tanned piece of aged cowhide.

This was the most distinctive hallmark of mastering the Skin Refinement Technique!

Am I truly a martial artist now?

Chen Er Gou could scarcely believe this reality; it felt as though he was ensnared in a dream.

It all happened too swiftly, unbelievably so!

What he had toiled so arduously to achieve under the meticulous tutelage of Chen Qiao Shan, expending every ounce of his strength, had now been realized with such ease?

Chen Er Gou pinched himself once more, this time choosing his face.

It stung a bit.

Just a tad.

Chen Er Gou finally ascertained that he wasn’t dreaming; he had indeed realized his dream!

He leapt three feet high in exhilaration.

Yet, in the next instant, his elation turned to despair as he tumbled to the ground with a resounding thud.

His legs had failed him.

In truth, it wasn’t just his legs—Chen Er Gou felt as though his entire being was on the verge of collapse, and a thunderous rumble emanated from his stomach, a fierce hunger that darkened his vision.

Food!

He needed copious amounts of food.

Chen Er Gou immediately scrambled towards the kitchen.

There was no time to boil water and cook sweet potatoes; he grabbed a piece of cured meat hanging on the windowsill and shoved it into his mouth, chewing voraciously.

This ten-pound piece of cured meat was the sole stock they had at home, typically sliced thinly and added to sweet potato porridge, stretching it out over a long period.

But at this moment, Chen Er Gou couldn’t care less; his only concern was satiating his hunger.

He was ravenous!

Perhaps it was due to his breakthrough into becoming a martial artist, but the tough cured meat was effortlessly torn apart by Chen Er Gou’s teeth, then ground into a meaty paste, mingled with saliva, and swallowed down.

In the brief span of a tea break, he had consumed the entire ten-pound cured meat!

"Ugh!"

He let out a contented burp, wiping his mouth as if still yearning for more.

He felt he could devour another piece!

However, there was no more meat left at home; he had polished off the last morsel of cured meat!

Chen Er Gou couldn’t help but feel a surge of panic.

What would he tell his father when he returned?

But he quickly thought that since he had successfully mastered the Skin Refinement Technique, his father would be so overjoyed that he wouldn’t care about a mere piece of cured meat.

With that thought, Chen Er Gou felt as if his mind had become sharper!

He joyfully took a shower and then happily went to bed.

He slept soundly until dawn.

Upon waking, Chen Er Gou felt fantastic, both in spirit and body, and everything he could see, hear, smell, and sense seemed different.

It all became clearer and more profound!

He cooked a pot of sweet potatoes for breakfast and ate every last bit.

Then, as usual, he headed out to till the fields.

However, halfway there, Chen Er Gou was stopped by someone.

Blocking his path was the burly boy he had beaten up the day before yesterday.

This time, the boy wasn’t accompanied by his gang, but by a young man with an expressionless face.

“Second Brother!”

The burly boy pointed at Chen Er Gou, visibly upset, and said, “He’s the one who hit me the day before yesterday!”

Chen Er Gou ignored him and instead focused his gaze on the young man.

The aura emanating from the young man put him on guard.

The young man spoke lightly, “Kneel down, bow three times to my brother, and apologize three times. If you do that, we’ll let this matter go.”

Chen Er Gou laughed.

If it had been the old him, facing such a person, he would have cowered immediately.

But today’s Chen Er Gou found the situation amusing.

He actually recognized the young man.

Lu Bao from the Lu family, a martial artist at the Meat Refinement Stage!

In the entire Little Stone Village, with its four to five hundred inhabitants, there were about a hundred martial artists. The strongest among them was the village chief, Old Shi Wu, who had reached the Bone Refinement Stage.

There were twenty-seven martial artists at the Meat Refinement Stage, including Lu Bao and Chen Qiao Shan.

In fact, if it weren’t for Chen Qiao Shan’s influence, Lu Bao would have already given Chen Er Gou a harsh lesson.

But while physical pain could be avoided, standing up for his cousin was still necessary!

“Huh?”

Seeing Chen Er Gou remain indifferent, Lu Bao furrowed his brow.

“Are you deaf?”

Chen Er Gou didn’t want to waste time with him and simply walked around him.

“Sorry, I’m very busy and don’t have time to chat with you.”

“Looking for death!”

Lu Bao was suddenly enraged and, without hesitation, reached out to grab Chen Er Gou.

His fingers clawed out like lightning, cutting through the air with a terrifying whistling sound—swift, sharp, and undeniably powerful.

As a martial artist at the Meat Refinement Stage, Lu Bao thought that attacking Chen Er Gou from behind would be effortless and require little exertion.

Unexpectedly, Chen Er Gou suddenly turned around and swung his fist to meet the attack.

Crack!

Their fists clashed, and Lu Bao staggered back a step, his entire body shaken.

Chen Er Gou also stepped back.

Both sides were evenly matched.

But Lu Bao’s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, “Skin Refinement Stage? You’ve actually become a martial artist!”

His cousin, the burly boy standing nearby, felt an immense jealousy.

Chen Er Gou had also become a martial artist?

How could he bear this?

“What’s so great about the Skin Refinement Stage!”

A fierce look flashed in Lu Bao’s eyes as he suddenly slapped his waist.

A spiked metal gauntlet appeared on his right hand.

Amidst the gasps of the onlookers, Lu Bao lunged at Chen Er Gou with the ferocity of a roaring tiger, his clawed hand aimed at Chen Er Gou’s vital points!

The gauntlet Lu Bao wore was clearly special, glinting coldly with barbs that shone ominously. The consequences of being caught would be dire.

Though Chen Er Gou hadn’t expected Lu Bao to use such a weapon for this matter, he didn’t dare to underestimate it and quickly retreated to create distance between them.

However, Lu Bao refused to let it go, chasing Chen Er Gou as he dodged left and right!

After dodging around for a moment, Chen Er Gou grew somewhat annoyed.

He didn’t expect this guy to be so relentless!

He thought to himself, if only he had a flying sword to cut down this nuisance!

Wait?

Chen Er Gou froze for a moment: “What’s a flying sword?”

In that brief distraction, Lu Bao seized the opportunity to swipe his claw at Chen Er Gou’s face, clearly intending to ruin his looks!

But before Lu Bao’s claw could touch Chen Er Gou, the latter’s fist struck first, landing a heavy blow on Lu Bao’s chest.

Thud!

Lu Bao flew back like a kite with a broken string, blood spraying from his mouth.

A martial artist at the Meat Refinement Stage couldn’t withstand a punch from Chen Er Gou at the Skin Refinement Stage?

Lu Bao landed on the ground, unable to believe it, but the power behind Chen Er Gou’s punch was undeniably real.

There was no room for doubt!

At that moment, several villagers heard the commotion and gathered around to see what was happening.

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Bao didn’t bother to save face; he sprang up from the ground and turned to flee.

He had no choice; he couldn’t beat Chen Er Gou, and logic wasn’t on his side.

Staying to be watched by others would only bring him greater humiliation!

His cousin was stunned: “Second Brother, wait for me!”

The boy didn’t expect that his mighty cousin would be defeated by Chen Er Gou so badly.

He felt anxious and scared, causing him to run as fast as he could.

Chen Er Gou let out a sneer and continued on his way.