After the caravan left, Gu Yue Village slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
The temporary tents disappeared. The shouting merchants left with their beasts and goods. The streets that had been bright for several nights became quiet again.
Fang Ming also returned to the academy.
But compared to before, there was now something extra hidden in his possession.
The Red Steel Relic Gu.
He could not use it yet. He could not show it. He could not even let others know it existed.
So Fang Ming treated it as if it was not there.
His daily life remained the same on the surface. He attended class, practiced Moonlight Gu, trained martial arts, received his weekly allowance, and returned home to cultivate.
But in private, his progress was no longer ordinary.
A-grade aptitude gave him a deep primeval sea and fast natural recovery.
The Liquor worm refined his primeval essence, making the nourishment of his aperture more efficient.
Primeval stones filled the gaps.
The result was simple.
Fang Ming advanced quickly.
Very quickly.
That night, he sat cross-legged in his room, eyes closed. His mind was inside his aperture.
The green copper primeval sea rose and fell, striking against the aperture walls again and again. The white light wall had already become unstable after repeated nourishment. Tonight, under the pressure of his refined primeval essence, it finally reached its limit.
The waves surged.
Again.
Again.
The aperture wall trembled.
Then, like light melting into water, the original white wall changed. Its surface became thicker and smoother, rippling faintly like flowing water.
Rank one middle stage.
Fang Ming opened his eyes.
The room was quiet.
Outside the window, the night wind moved through the bamboo leaves.
He exhaled slowly.
No joy showed on his face, only relief.
This was the result he needed.
The next morning, Fang Ming went to the academy before class began.
The academy elder was reading bamboo slips when the guard reported his arrival. At first, the elder thought Fang Ming had come for some ordinary academy matter.
Then Fang Ming cupped his hands and said, "Elder, this student has advanced to Rank one middle stage."
The academy elder's hand paused.
He looked up.
"You advanced?"
"Yes."
The elder stared at Fang Ming for a few breaths before standing. "Release your aura."
Fang Ming obeyed.
The aura of Rank one middle stage spread out, faint but clear.
The elder's expression changed.
This was fast, too fast.
Even for A-grade aptitude, this speed was surprising.
The academy elder walked closer and inspected him carefully. After confirming there was no mistake, his expression softened into satisfaction.
"Good. Very good."
Fang Ming lowered his head. "This student was only fortunate."
"Fortune also belongs to those who work hard." The elder's tone was much gentler than usual. "According to the academy's rule, the first student to advance to Rank one middle stage receives thirty primeval stones and first choice of a second Gu."
The reward was quickly brought over.
Fang Ming accepted the pouch calmly.
Thirty primeval stones.
Useful, but not the most important part.
The real value was the first choice of second Gu.
The academy elder said, "You may go to the Gu room after class and choose. Think carefully. Your second Gu will affect your future path."
"Yes, elder."
When Fang Ming left, the academy elder remained standing for a while.
Two A-grade talents had appeared this year.
But Fang Ming was the one who had taken first in refinement.
Now he was also first to middle stage.
The elder could already imagine the reaction this news would cause.
By noon, the academy students knew.
"Fang Ming reached middle stage?"
"So fast?"
"Fang Zheng has not advanced yet?"
"He already took first in refining, and now this…"
The whispers spread quickly.
Fang Zheng sat silently at his desk.
His hands were clenched beneath the table.
He had thought he was close. He had cultivated late into the night, used primeval stones carefully, and endured the pressure from Fang Yuan's extortion.
But Fang Ming had still advanced first.
Mo Bei's expression was ugly. Chi Chen was also quiet, though his eyes moved slightly, hiding his thoughts.
Fang Ming did not speak about the matter.
He let the news spread on its own.
After class, he did not immediately go to the Gu room.
Instead, he waited near the side of the training field.
Mo Bei came first.
"What do you want?" Mo Bei asked, his tone stiff.
Fang Ming looked at him. "You fought Fang Yuan last time. You noticed it too, right?"
Mo Bei frowned. "Noticed what?"
"He was tired."
Mo Bei's eyes changed.
Fang Ming continued, "After many fights, his breathing was heavier. His strikes became harsher because he could not control the situation as easily as before."
Mo Bei was silent for a moment.
Then he snorted. "So you saw it too."
His expression became darker. "During our fight, I heard him panting. He hides it well, but he is not invincible."
Not long after, Chi Chen arrived. Fang Zheng came last.
The four stood in a quiet corner of the training field.
Fang Zheng looked uncertain. "Why did you call us here?"
Fang Ming did not waste words.
"Fang Yuan will continue taking our primeval stones if no one stops him."
Fang Ming looked at the three of them and continued, "Those stones are not just small pieces of wealth. They are our cultivation resources. They are our practice time, our Gu food, our chance to advance faster. The more progress we make now, the safer we will be after leaving the academy."
His tone remained calm, but his words grew heavier.
"Every stone he takes slows us down. Every week this continues, he is not only stealing from us, he is disrupting our cultivation."
He paused briefly.
"And more than that, it is humiliating."
Fang Ming's gaze swept over Mo Bei, Chi Chen, and Fang Zheng.
"In front of the other clansmen, in front of our classmates, he blocks the academy gate and forces us to lower our heads. He is not only taking primeval stones. He is stepping on our dignity."
The atmosphere changed.
Mo Bei's face immediately showed anger. Chi Chen's expression turned cold. Fang Zheng lowered his head slightly.
Fang Ming said, "One person challenging him is useless. Mo Bei tried. Chi Chen tried. Others tried. The result is the same. Fang Yuan's close combat skill is better than ours."
Mo Bei gritted his teeth but did not refute.
Fang Ming looked at the three of them. "But he is still one person. His body is still fifteen years old. His stamina has limits."
Chi Chen narrowed his eyes. "You want us to attack together?"
"I want him to understand that continuing to extort us is not worth the cost."
Fang Zheng hesitated. "But if we all fight him together, won't the academy elder interfere?"
"The academy did not interfere when he robbed us," Fang Ming replied calmly. "As long as no one is crippled or killed, they will watch."
That sentence made the three fall silent.
Because it was true.
Fang Yuan's extortion had already proved the academy's attitude.
Mo Bei's eyes sharpened.
Chi Chen said slowly, "And after reaching middle stage first, you want to lead this?"
Fang Ming met his gaze. "Someone has to organize it. If you want to lead, you can try."
Chi Chen did not answer.
Mo Bei snorted. "Enough. I only care about beating Fang Yuan."
Fang Zheng looked toward the academy gate in the distance.
His expression was complicated.
Fang Yuan was his brother.
But that brother had robbed him too.
Again and again.
After a long silence, Fang Zheng said, "If it is to stop him from taking everyone's primeval stones, I will join."
Fang Ming nodded.
Fang Ming had already reached Rank one middle stage and received the academy's reward. The news had spread through the academy by noon. If Fang Yuan continued his extortion, Fang Ming did not believe he would be satisfied with only one primeval stone.
One stone was a test.
A reward pouch was meat placed before a wolf.
Fang Ming would not give him that chance.
After the academy lesson ended, the students began leaving in groups. The atmosphere was no different from the previous allowance days. Some students were still discussing Fang Ming's breakthrough, while others glanced nervously toward the academy gate out of habit.
Fang Yuan stood there.
As expected.
His hands were behind his back, his expression calm. He stood in the middle of the path, blocking the exit like he had done before.
"One primeval stone per person," Fang Yuan said.
The students stopped.
Some faces showed anger. More showed fear.
Fang Ming walked forward.
Mo Bei, Chi Chen, and Fang Zheng followed behind him.
The crowd noticed this and immediately quieted.
Fang Yuan's gaze moved across the four of them.
Fang Ming stopped several steps away.
"Not today," he said.
Fang Yuan looked at him. "Oh?"
Fang Ming did not answer Fang Yuan immediately.
Instead, he turned slightly, letting the nearby students hear him.
"Everyone here knows what happens if we fall behind in cultivation. The academy will not protect us forever. Once we leave this place and begin taking missions in the wilderness, weakness will not mean losing face. It will mean death."
Fang Ming's gaze swept across the students.
"Every primeval stone he takes is practice lost, Gu food lost, progress lost. This is not only a fight over primeval stones."
His voice lowered slightly.
"This is a fight for survival."
His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly.
The students' expressions shifted.
Some lowered their heads. Some clenched their fists. Others looked toward Fang Yuan with anger slowly rising over fear.
"One person going forward alone is just giving him another target," Fang Ming continued. "But if everyone keeps standing behind their own fear, this will never end."
Then he looked back at Fang Yuan.
"We do not need to prove who is braver. We only need to show you that taking our stones will cost more than it is worth."
Mo Bei stepped forward first.
"Enough. Fang Yuan, today you won't take anything."
Chi Chen moved to the side, blocking part of the path.
Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment, then followed as well.
The watching students did not rush forward, but they no longer backed away either. Fang Ming's words had not made them fearless, but it had stopped them from scattering.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept over the four of them.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "You want to rely on numbers?"
Fang Ming replied, "Yes."
There was no shame in his answer.
Fang Yuan's close combat skill was above any single student here. Challenging him one by one was foolish. Numbers were also strength, and today Fang Ming intended to use them.
Mo Bei moved first.
This time, he did not charge recklessly. He stepped in with his fists raised, forcing Fang Yuan to shift position. Chi Chen circled from the side, cutting off the route Fang Yuan usually used to dodge.
Fang Zheng stayed half a step behind, nervous but focused.
Fang Ming held the center.
He did not rush in blindly. His role was to watch Fang Yuan's movement and fill the gaps.
Fang Yuan avoided Mo Bei's punch and struck toward his neck with a palm. Before the strike landed, Fang Ming stepped forward and forced him to change angle.
Chi Chen attacked from the side.
Fang Yuan turned his shoulder and dodged, but Fang Zheng had already moved. His punch was not skillful, but it blocked Fang Yuan's retreat.
For the first time, Fang Yuan could not move through the students freely.
The four of them were not stronger than him individually.
Together, they were troublesome.
Fang Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly.
He suddenly advanced toward Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng's face changed, but Fang Ming had expected this. Fang Yuan would naturally choose the weakest will first. Fang Ming stepped between them and raised his arm.
Bang.
Fang Yuan's palm struck Fang Ming's forearm.
Pain spread through Fang Ming's arm, but he endured it.
At the same time, Mo Bei punched toward Fang Yuan's ribs.
Fang Yuan twisted away, but Chi Chen forced him back again.
The students watching from behind widened their eyes.
Fang Yuan had not fallen.
But he had been stopped.
That alone changed the atmosphere.
Several more exchanges followed. Fang Yuan's attacks were still precise, and each movement carried danger. Mo Bei took a strike to the shoulder. Chi Chen nearly fell after being kicked in the leg. Fang Zheng's face turned pale when Fang Yuan's palm brushed past his throat.
But Fang Ming kept the formation from breaking.
Every time one person was forced back, another stepped in.
Every time Fang Yuan tried to isolate one of them, Fang Ming closed the gap.
After a dozen breaths, Fang Yuan suddenly retreated.
The fight stopped.
Mo Bei was breathing heavily. Chi Chen's forehead was covered in sweat. Fang Zheng's hands trembled slightly.
Fang Ming's arm hurt badly, but his expression stayed calm.
Fang Yuan looked at him.
Fang Ming met his gaze.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Fang Yuan said flatly, "Interesting."
He turned and walked away from the academy gate.
The path opened.
For several breaths, the students remained silent.
Then whispers began to rise.
"He backed down…"
"Fang Yuan actually left."
"They forced him back."
Mo Bei let out a breath and straightened his back, trying to hide the pain in his shoulder.
Chi Chen dusted off his sleeve, though his face was still tense.
Fang Zheng stared at Fang Yuan's departing back, his expression complicated.
Fang Ming lowered his arm slowly.
They had not truly defeated Fang Yuan.
He understood this clearly.
If this had been a life-and-death battle, the result might have been different. Fang Yuan still had methods, experience, and ruthlessness that none of them could match.
But that was not the goal today.
Fang Ming's real goal was simpler.
He had just received thirty primeval stones from the academy reward. If Fang Yuan continued standing at the gate, Fang Ming did not believe he would only ask him for one.
This fight was to protect his own resources.
As for the others, they had also benefited. By standing together, they kept their own primeval stones from being taken.
Fang Ming walked through the academy gate without handing over anything.