Three Days of Qi Refining, Great Emperor Potential!

All eyes on the field snapped toward the man who had just stepped slowly onto the Square Platform behind Xiao Ran.

Here he was, finally—the miracle child, Junior Disciple Ye Fan, had arrived!

The problem was, Xiao Ran had already defeated two opponents with mortal strength, his talent laid bare, the outcome all but decided. Even if Ye Fan won against him with Foundation Establishment power, it wouldn't change a thing.

Maybe he just wanted to vent... the crowd thought.

Ye Fan had joined the Outer Sect ten years ago. Plain-looking, mediocre talent, often met with cold stares. But after entering the sect, his advancement was astonishing—reaching Qi Refining in just one year, the second person in the Outer Sect to do so in the last millennium, after Lin Yunzi.

Then he entered the Inner Sect, reached Foundation Establishment three years later, and was now said to be preparing for Core Formation.

Over the past decade, Zongzhi Mountain had been rife with legends about him: Child of Fortune, Bearer of a Hidden Treasure, Human-shaped Miracle Machine, and that widely circulated phrase—

My junior brother Ye Fan has the Great Emperor Potential!

To protect such a rare seedling, Master Boyun had treated him with exceptional care, once promising to take him as his sole personal disciple if he could form his core.

But Ye Fan seemed to favor Lingzhou Yue, who had once defeated Master Boyun. Taking advantage of the Dao Alliance's new regulations, he recommended himself to her... and then—

Nothing.

After that, Master Boyun seemed to stop mentioning his earlier plan to take Ye Fan as a disciple.

It was easy to imagine how much Ye Fan resented Xiao Ran.

Even though Xiao Ran's talent was enough to qualify as a Direct Disciple, Ye Fan insisted on fighting! The crowd thought, Well, fine. Uncle-Master Xiao may be gifted, but he's too domineering and surrounded by beauties. Letting Ye Fan take him down a peg isn't a bad thing.

The show was about to begin! The crowd held their breath, hearts pounding in the gusting wind.

On the Square Platform.

Xiao Ran turned and glanced at the young man walking out from behind the Sword Stele.

Not tall, average face, but with an unyielding will etched between his brows. His green robes rustled; upon closer look, he had a certain presence.

So this is my past life idol, Ye Fan's Appearance of an Emperor?

Hope it's just a coincidence of names.

He thought, This guy isn't handsome, but he's not ugly either. The reason my master turned him down was way too harsh.

It almost made him feel sorry for Ye Fan—not a good thing before a fight.

In terms of combat, a mortal fighting a Foundation Establishment cultivator was impossible to win, even with a Heaven Tier Resonance Power cheat.

Still, unless it was an emergency, he absolutely wouldn't use his Filial Piety Points.

Not to show off or play the fool, but because Filial Piety Points could be exchanged for full-health packs—critical for saving his life at the brink of death! With his master not around, what if he ran into a Wraith?

Especially here at the Sword Plaza—he couldn't shake this uneasy feeling...

Wraith or Ye Fan, no matter how strong the enemy, as long as he had enough Filial Piety Points, he could fake his death at the last moment by buying a health pack.

Advancing to Qi Refining early would at most let him handle Ye Fan. If he met a Wraith, he'd have no points left for a health pack.

Fine. Let's see how far this Resonance Power can go against a Foundation Establishment cultivator while I'm still mortal.

The sharp edges of the Sword Stele cut through the howling morning wind, producing a whistling sound that was sometimes piercing, sometimes drawn-out.

Across from the Sword Stele.

Ye Fan's green robes rustled as he stood straight as a pine, staring at Xiao Ran's handsome, carefree face. A thousand emotions churned within him, a thousand words on his lips, but in the end he only clasped his fists and said in a low voice, "Uncle-Master Xiao, forgive my impertinence."

With that, he suddenly bowed, dropped to one knee, and slammed his palm onto the bluestone ground.

"Flipping Stone Seal."

A ring of blue sigils instantly spread, driving the spirit patterns in the gaps between the stones, flipping up every slab on the entire Square Platform at once.

Like four massive waves surging toward Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran saw at once that each stone slab had a different spiritual vibration frequency. Using Resonance Power on them would take too long and cost him the initiative...

Clearly, Ye Fan had studied his tactics from the previous two fights and chosen a suitable counter.

He's talented.

In a flash, four stone walls rose high, crashing down like tidal waves.

Xiao Ran's feet pushed off the ground, launching him into the air. He accelerated step by step, steady on his feet, but still too slow.

The four walls were about to close in.

Normally, when four walls converge, leaving only an opening above, there's bound to be an ambush.

But Xiao Ran listened to all things and faintly sensed a strange fluctuation of spiritual power outside the walls, as if something was brewing. If he forced his way through, he'd likely fall into a more dangerous trap.

Choosing the lesser evil, he stepped upward like a rocket, shooting straight into the sky! "Didn't take the bait?"

Ye Fan curled his lip.

It seemed this Uncle-Master Xiao was far more perceptive than he'd imagined—almost precognitive.

In the air, Ye Fan lay in wait, controlling eight flying swords from a distance, raining them down to block Xiao Ran's ascent.

"Plum Rain Sword Array!"

Xiao Ran drew his sword, charging headlong into the sword array, refusing to change course or break through the walls.

Overhead, the spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment Realm bore down as he faced the sword array falling like rain, swinging his blade.

One slash, and chaos reigned!

It whipped up a screeching, ear-piercing turbulence of air, constantly resonating with the rustling morning breeze, spawning small cyclones.

Though this power was far from matching the Foundation Establishment-level sword array, it was enough to throw the Plum Rain Sword Array off course...

In that instant of deviation, a path opened for Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran took a single step into the sky, burst through the encirclement, and escaped alive.

In theory, Xiao Ran had executed the perfect move, but the gap between enemy and self was like a chasm—what awaited him—

Was Ye Fan's strongest punch, descending from the heavens.

"Netherking Punch!"

Black mist coiled around the fist, unleashing a roar like a mad dragon.

Roar! In the air, Luo Sheng's half-lidded eyes suddenly froze, the smile wiped from his face. He wanted to intervene but it was already too late.

He hadn't expected Ye Fan, merely at Foundation Establishment, to possess such power.

He intended to gravely wound Xiao Ran! Xiao Ran paid it no mind, raising his sword to block the incoming fist.

Fist and blade collided, sending a resonant clang through the air.

Boom! Xiao Ran used the sword's resonant vibration to deflect the fist's force horizontally, like ripples spreading in all directions, shattering the surrounding stone walls.

Xiao Ran bore only a thousandth of the fist's power, keeping his body upright as he plummeted straight down, landing steadily.

This punch, meant to cripple Xiao Ran, instead shattered the encircling stone walls.

The moment the walls crumbled—

Nine massive Azure Black Dragon Shadows gradually took shape, spiraling and intertwining around each other, converging into a black tower.

"Nine Dragons Great Desolate Pagoda!"

Xiao Ran's vision went dark as the black tower completely engulfed him.

I've reached my limit...

In the air, Ye Fan panted heavily.

He never imagined that dealing with someone who hadn't even reached Qi Refining would force him to pull out his trump card.

Even so, he hadn't managed to harm the other party in the slightest; only through a flawlessly tight strategy had he trapped Xiao Ran with the Nine Dragons Great Desolate Pagoda.

Just who the hell is this Xiao Ran! On the floating Stone Cushion.

Because the blow had been too heavy, Luo Sheng had initially intended to apprehend Ye Fan, but seeing his formidable Cultivation Method, meticulous tactics, and the fact that he hadn't actually injured Xiao Ran, he decided—out of encouragement for talent—not to seize Ye Fan on the spot. Instead, he led the applause.

"Brilliant. No wonder you're the prodigy Master Boyun set his sights on."

The crowd was dead silent, stunned into speechlessness.

Everyone understood that Uncle-Master Xiao's performance was the truly remarkable one.

Luo Sheng also rose respectfully, cupping his fists toward Xiao Ran:

"Junior Brother Xiao... you've truly opened my eyes."

The moment the words left his mouth, his brow suddenly furrowed!

"This—"

Clearly, what was opening his eyes was still to come...

"Hm?"

Ye Fan froze, also sensing something off.

Ten breaths earlier.

Inside the pitch-black Nine Dragons Great Desolate Pagoda.

Xiao Ran's vision was shrouded in darkness, yet it felt as if he could see a Starry Sky.

Or perhaps, it was the System Panel.

He glanced around, found no trace of the Wraith, and decisively purchased the upgrade pack.

Qi Refining Cultivation Level Upgrade Pack: Price 100 Filial Piety Points. Does the Host confirm purchase?

"Purchase."

Congratulations, Host! Upgraded to Qi Refining!

Before Xiao Ran could even savor the physical and spiritual transformation, the system chimed again.

Ding—Detected that the Host has mastered the Heaven Tier Myriad Resonance Heart Method. Merging with Cultivation Level, automatically ascending to Perfect Qi Refining Great Perfection!

An unexpected boon!

Far beyond mere Qi Refining, Xiao Ran even felt a sensation of ascending to immortality.

Main Peak.

A thousand zhang beneath the earth.

The Sect Leader's cave dwelling.

At this place where ten thousand Spiritual Meridians converged, Qian Junzi, who had been cultivating in slumber, suddenly opened his eyes—

Great Emperor Potential!