This time, Qin Feng completely concealed his presence, remaining undetected until he had reached a location several kilometers away from the魔race. In fact, he didn’t need to do this—earlier battles had already placed significant pressure on Meili. Even if she sensed the arrival of scouts, she would likely refrain from sending her troops out abruptly, to avoid further losses. Of course, this situation couldn’t last indefinitely. Once her body fully recovered, she would personally step forward to confront them. Holding a high-powered telescope and benefiting from his naturally exceptional vision, Qin’s clear sight of the scene several kilometers away was impeccable. After observing for a while, he shook his head and murmured, “What a masterstroke—such a precise and devastating blow. I never thought that mere several small nuclear bombs could reduce the female warlord to this state. She hasn’t recovered even now. If only I had struck harder back then, I’d have ensured she’d never dare to oppose the Chinese again.” As for this “masterstroke” of precision, it ultimately depends on the person involved. If the individual is— A girl who combines both qualities. He certainly wouldn't do that. His underlings had dwindled down to barely twenty. After observing for a while, he found no unusual circumstances, and thus felt reassured before leaving. As soon as he arrived at the command center, Hou Bao came bustling over, holding a tablet computer. "Xiao Feng, we've made a major breakthrough!" He was thrilled: "It's done! So quickly! I clearly underestimated those old fellows." Hou Bao shook his head: "It's not all done—only the first section is completed. Not only has the punctuation been finalized, but a reasonably solid explanation has also been established. I've carefully reviewed it several times, and I've consulted with the leading scholars of classical Chinese literature in Beijing. I believe there shouldn't be any errors." Only one section had been achieved—his initial excitement seemed to have been in vain. Still, it was better than nothing. Taking the tablet, he found it contained the first formula of the Haotian Hammer Technique—the legendary "One Strike That Shatters the Sky." This formula consisted of forty-eight characters. The first two lines come in four-character phrases; the middle section features a group of five characters related to the willow branch; the later lines progress into eight- and twelve-character longer sentences. Hou Bao began to explain in detail: "Xiao Feng, look at this sentence: 'Qi flows through the eight meridians.' This refers to the spiritual energy circulating through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Now look at this one: 'Hand-Shaoyang emerges.' This suggests that after the spiritual energy has circulated through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, it enters the Haotian Hammer via the Hand-Shaoyang meridian. Now let's examine the next sentence..." Fortunately, Hou Bo has some research background in both ancient martial arts and cultivation traditions. Without the group of elderly scholars who rely solely on written expression, such a thorough explanation would have been impossible. Most people probably wouldn't even believe that human bodies possess meridians. After his explanation, Qin Shao suddenly understood and nodded: "I see now. Master Hou, you'll have to put in a bit more effort and complete the remaining five forms. I'll go try them out right away and see if they're accurate." "Good. Be Tianchui stood hundreds of meters away. Before him lay a weathered stone forest, clearly now a potential adversary. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly hurled the hammer. With a sharp crack of air, the Heavenly Hammer struck a stone pillar, which collapsed with a thunderous sound. This was merely a casual throw—intended simply to test the difference in outcome when following the secret manual. According to the manual's steps, he first drew a stream of spiritual energy from his dantian, circulating it once through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. When the energy became more refined, he guided it along the Shaoyang Meridian into the handle of the hammer. The Heavenly Hammer emitted a crisp "hum," startling him instantly, and he lost connection with the spiritual energy. "Well, that's a failure," he exclaimed, surprised. He had expected this to be a simple task, yet an unexpected issue arose even on the very first attempt. On the small hillside, Lin Meiren expressed some disappointment, saying, "It failed—what exactly went wrong?" Qingya smiled and said, "Don't worry. Failure is just the mother of success. I think that young man has already..." Mastered a few tricks. Next time, success is certain. How lucky! The Heavenly Hammer—what a divine weapon! How many people have dreamed of wielding it? His luck truly is exceptional. Regarding this, Lin Beauty agrees: "Feng's luck is indeed outstanding. It's been consistent throughout. After all, he's only been involved in cultivation for less than a year." The Female Inspector blinks: "What? Less than a year? That's impossible. I've been called a cultivation prodigy since childhood and it took me over ten years to reach the peak of the Yuan Sheng stage. How can he achieve Yuan Sheng rank—specifically, the lower tier—in such a short span?" Lin Beauty shrugs: "Not only you—me either. If it weren't for him, I'd still be at the stage of Hua Zhen, just beginning." Qingya immediately asks: "How many years have you been cultivating?" Lin Caivie replies: "Almost thirteen years..." Upon hearing this, the Female Inspector feels somewhat reassured and begins to think that Qin Feng is quite a strange individual. Qin Dashi did not deliberately listen to the two girls' conversation. His entire focus was on the Haotian Hammer. This time, he was even more cautious, slowly channeling his spiritual energy into the hammer's handle. With experience gained previously, he remained undisturbed whenever he heard the clear, crisp sounds. He clearly felt the spiritual energy flowing steadily from the handle toward the hammer head, swiftly entering and then beginning to rotate. At the right moment, he suddenly launched the Haotian Hammer, shouting, "One strike, and the sky is broken!" Shh... The Haotian Hammer transformed into a streak of cold light, rushing swiftly toward the stone forest. Boom... Crackle... Crackle... Dozens of thick stalagmites snapped instantly, shattering into fragments that scattered like flowers blooming in the sky. After clearing the stone forest, the hammer continued flying for a considerable distance before finally coming to rest. It truly is a "one strike, and the sky is broken." Every stalagmite the hammer passed through was shattered—no stone could escape. It had carved out a straight, four-meter-wide path through the irregular stone forest. The fragments struck against other stalagmites, producing soft "puff" . Peering closely, he was amazed to see countless small dents left on the stalagmite—so powerful that even pebbles seemed to have been crushed. One could only imagine the force of the Hao Tian Hammer. After a brief moment of astonishment, he extended his right hand, and the Hao Tian Hammer flew back on its own, landing precisely in the center of his palm. A look of joy and accomplishment spread across his face. One strike, and heaven was broken—brother, I’ve mastered it! The two women were equally stunned. Their eyes widened, hands pressed to their mouths, expressions of sheer disbelief. After all, Qingya, as a seasoned Inspector, had handled numerous high-quality magical artifacts—over a dozen in total. Yet, even then, the scene had left her deeply impressed. Indeed, the famed weapon of the Hao Tian Emperor was no ordinary marvel. As for Lin, it took her a while to finally lower her hand, still clutching her lips, murmuring softly, “Incredible. With such a weapon, Feng has surely gained a significant advantage against the demonic forces.”