After entering the Fourth Realm, his remaining lifespan suddenly surged by more than eighty years.
This was secondary; the key was that the unlocking progress of the Kidney and Spleen both exceeded fifty percent.
Zhao Ya carefully felt it and discovered that besides his spirit being significantly uplifted, it seemed even his hair and teeth had become very fine and sturdy.
Looking into the mirror, Zhao Ya found that his teeth, previously not so neat, were now perfectly aligned, appearing white and lustrous like jade.
Zhao Ya even felt that he could bite off a piece of iron with his current strength.
Additionally, the bones, which had already completed the grinding process, grew and evolved once again, becoming even harder, with even the gaps between the ribs covered by a layer of bone membrane to protect the internal organs.
Furthermore, the stomach and intestines, always in a vigorous state, also became much calmer and less irritable.
Zhao Ya understood that these changes came from the inherent talent of the Kidney and Spleen.
Teeth and bones originated from the Kidney, and the changes in the stomach and intestines came from the Spleen.
All of this made Zhao Ya curious about the inherent talents after fully unlocking the two major organs.
Moreover, after unlocking the Kidney and Spleen, what should be unlocked next?
The Six Viscera?
Or the Meridians?
The next day, Zhao Ya arrived at the Martial Arts Hall early.
When Lu Dingtai saw him, he was initially stunned, then immediately laughed and said, "Did you have a breakthrough?"
"Yes, I lived up to Master’s expectations; just last night, I successfully broke through."
"How long did the Skin Grinding process last?" Lu Dingtai asked.
"About half an hour."
Zhao Ya didn’t dare to say he underwent Skin Grinding for a full hour, as it was too astonishing, so he compromised a bit.
However, he still underestimated the impact of this time interval.
"How long did you say?" Lu Dingtai’s voice raised by eight degrees, drawing the attention of the surrounding disciples.
"I didn’t measure it precisely, but it should be around half an hour!" Zhao Ya replied, steeling himself.
"Stretch out your hand, let me see."
Zhao Ya extended his hands, and Lu Dingtai grasped them, feeling them thoroughly.
Upon confirming that Zhao Ya’s skin was tough and flexible like iron leather and the internal Qi Blood it contained was extremely pure, Lu Dingtai couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
"Good, it seems our Dingtai Martial Arts Hall is truly going to produce an extraordinary genius."
Soon, the news of Zhao Ya’s breakthrough to the Fourth Realm spread throughout the entire Martial Arts Hall.
Shen Dao, Miao Shaocheng, Xu De, and even the senior sister Meng Shiwen all rushed over.
When they heard that Zhao Ya’s Skin Grinding process lasted for an astonishing half an hour, they were all shocked.
"Whoa, Junior Brother, you’re amazing. I remember when Second Senior Brother did Skin Grinding, it only lasted a quarter of an hour, and even that was enough to make him known as a genius. You went for over half an hour, that’s truly impressive!" Miao Shaocheng exclaimed in amazement.
Shen Dao, upon hearing this, smiled wryly, "Enough with the genius talk. Compared to Junior Brother, what kind of genius am I?"
Although he said that, Shen Dao’s face was full of gratification.
Because the stronger Zhao Ya became, the stronger it proved Dingtai Martial Arts Hall to be.
As the senior brother, he felt a great sense of honor.
Meng Shiwen, on the other hand, looked at Zhao Ya with a complex expression.
She had worked hard for so long but always fell just short of a breakthrough, remaining stuck at the brink of the Fourth Realm.
If it were before, it would be one thing.
After all, there were not many young Fourth Realm experts in the entire Commandery.
But now, her junior brother, who had only joined the school for less than a year, completed Skin Grinding with an extremely rare half-hour duration.
All this made Meng Shiwen feel deeply frustrated.
As a senior sister, she felt increasingly unworthy of the title.
Just as Meng Shiwen was feeling deeply despondent, Xu De laughed and said, "Master, Junior Brother has broken through to the Fourth Realm; shouldn’t we notify the other Martial Arts Halls in the city about such a joyous event?"
"Of course we should, and we should do so with great fanfare. Thus, send a few people to Chenfeng, Ren Yong, and Guangrui these three halls separately."
"Shaocheng, go inform the other Martial Arts Halls that we are on good terms with, that Dingtai Martial Arts Hall is holding a banquet in three days to celebrate having another Fourth Realm expert."
"Yes!"
Miao Shaocheng and Xu De responded in agreement and left excitedly.
Soon, the news of Dingtai Martial Arts Hall gaining another Fourth Realm expert spread throughout the entire Commandery.
Chenfeng Martial Arts Hall.
Since being defeated by Zhao Ya some time ago, Xia Cunyi had become much more low-key, reclusive daily, rarely appearing in front of his fellow apprentices.
Even though the injury that day wasn’t severe, Xia Cunyi regarded it as a deep humiliation.
After all, he was a Martial Artist at the brink of the Fourth Realm, while Zhao Ya was merely at the peak of the Third Realm.
Moreover, it was he who initiated the challenge, only to be defeated publicly and lose a thousand taels of Gold, deepening Xia Cunyi’s sense of shame.
Once he recovered from his injuries, Xia Cunyi discarded all distractions, practicing desperately every day, with only one thought in mind:
To quickly advance to the Fourth Realm and then defeat Zhao Ya to regain the honor he lost.
Naturally, Yuan Chenfeng greatly supported this change in him.
That day, after being ridiculed by Lu Dingtai, Yuan Chenfeng returned home and, in a fit of anger, smashed his favorite Eight Immortals Table with a slap.
So when he learned of Xia Cunyi’s intentions, Yuan Chenfeng immediately expressed his stance, saying that whatever was lacking, just ask. As long as you can advance to the Fourth Realm and then defeat Zhao Ya, everything would be fine.
With his master’s support, Xia Cunyi became even more determined, refusing to stop each day until he had exhausted all his strength.
On this day, as he was practicing at his residence, Yuan Chenfeng pushed the door open and walked in.
"Master!" Xia Cunyi quickly saluted.
But Yuan Chenfeng said nothing, his face clouded with a terrifying gloom.
Seeing this, Xia Cunyi’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of what had happened again.
While feeling uneasy, he heard Yuan Chenfeng ask, "How long do you estimate it will take for you to advance to the Fourth Realm?"
Xia Cunyi hurriedly replied, "I’ve felt some progress in the past two days. Perhaps in another year, I can achieve Great Success in Skin Grinding and advance to the Fourth Realm."
"Ha ha, a year!" Yuan Chenfeng suddenly let out a cold laugh, then said.
"Do you know what Zhao Ya’s cultivation level is now?"
"What cultivation level?"
"I just received news that he has already achieved Great Success in Skin Grinding and advanced to the Fourth Realm!"
"Impossible!"
Xia Cunyi could hardly believe his ears.
"The last time I sparred with him, he was only at the peak of the Third Realm. It hasn’t been long, how could he have advanced to the Fourth Realm already?"
"I also find it hard to believe, but the message was delivered by Miao Shaocheng, the third disciple of Lu Dingtai. He clearly stated that three days later, a banquet would be held at Dingtai Martial Arts Hall to celebrate Zhao Ya’s successful advancement."
Xia Cunyi’s face instantly turned pale.
If that were the case, it would prove that the news is likely true.
Yet, he was still stuck at a bottleneck with no way forward while Zhao Ya advanced so easily and successfully.
Xia Cunyi suddenly thought of a possibility and immediately said,
"Master, I think this Zhao Ya must have used some opportunistic methods, possibly even some secret medicine that forcibly elevates one’s realm. Otherwise, how could he have advanced to the Fourth Realm so quickly, and if that’s the case, even if he becomes a Fourth Realm, he’s just a fraud."
"I also have this suspicion, so I’ve decided to take you there with me. If Zhao Ya really used some shortcuts, you will spar with him again, strive to defeat him, and suppress Lu Dingtai’s arrogance." Yuan Chenfeng said through gritted teeth.
Xia Cunyi felt a chill in his heart, knowing this was Yuan Chenfeng giving him one last chance.
If he failed again this time, he would have no future prospects.
So he could only grit his teeth and respond, "Yes!"
At the same time, in Ren Yong Martial Arts Hall, Senior Brother Nie Jingnian, who also received the news, was initially stunned, then started to laugh.
"Senior Brother Nie, what are you laughing about?" a junior brother asked.
"It’s nothing, just being happy for a friend!"
In Nie Jingnian’s view, Zhao Ya’s breakthrough to the Fourth Realm was something that followed naturally. Not breaking through would have been strange.
So he decided to prepare a gift and personally visit to congratulate him at that time.
After all, he had witnessed Zhao Ya’s previous performance, and such a talent should naturally be well respected.
Other martial arts halls and practitioners throughout the Commandery reacted differently upon hearing the news.
Some were surprised, some were dismissive, but most were puzzled.
After all, everyone knew Zhao Ya’s previous capabilities. How could he break through to the Fourth Realm in such a short time?
Could it be that he used some opportunistic means?
This suspicion brewed beneath the surface.
So many who initially didn’t plan to attend decided they must see for themselves when the time came.
If Zhao Ya really relied on opportunistic methods for Skin Grinding, then Lu Dingtai’s reputation would be tarnished.
And at this moment, at the center of the storm, Zhao Ya was at home talking with Big Eye Lamp and Erqiangzi.
"What’s the situation outside the city now?"
"In response to Master Zhao, there are more exotic beasts outside the city, even appearing in the grove not far from the city gate. Although their levels are low, there are quite a few of them," Big Eye Lamp said.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya couldn’t help but frown slightly.
This was the matter he was most worried about.
Since discovering this situation, Zhao Ya always felt uneasy, so he had been secretly investigating and asking someone to find the Commandery’s annals to see if such a situation had occurred before.
He indeed found some clues.
Fifty years ago, similar situations occurred in the Commandery, eventually forming a Beast Tide.
But this event drew little attention because the Beast Tide was quickly suppressed by the garrison and various martial arts halls at the time.
They even gained greatly from it.
So when signs of a Beast Tide appeared again this time, no one took it seriously; some even saw it as an opportunity for wealth.
But Zhao Ya didn’t think so.
He recalled the Giant-winged Blood Bat with Fifth Realm strength in the Earth Cave, and his heart felt heavy.
The strongest force in the last Beast Tide was only Fourth Realm and in small numbers.
That’s why it was subdued easily by various forces.
But what if this Beast Tide contained Fifth Realm exotic beasts, or even stronger ones, then what should be done?