Inside the secret chamber of Duke Fu's Mansion, Yuan Tiangang withdrew his hand from Ling Yan's crown.
After seven days of refinement and restoration, Ling Yan had undergone a dramatic transformation. A crimson flame tattoo glowed brightly between his brows, while several distinctive golden patterns had surfaced on his face.
This was precisely the Ling Family's inherited cultivation art, Nine Revolutions of Fire Refining, a technique worthy of being called top-tier.
It used one's own true qi to condense true fire and nurture a Natal Fire compatible with oneself.
This technique was extremely difficult to cultivate and consumed immense resources. Moreover, the process was unbearably painful for the practitioner. The slightest carelessness would bring a backlash from the true fire, effectively burning oneself alive.
Thus, even within the Ling Family, few cultivated it.
Many suffered backlash from the true fire before reaching the fifth revolution. They either crippled their cultivation or burned themselves away entirely.
Yet there was no denying the technique's formidable power. Even Ling Yan's return from the ruins owed much to this art.
However, Yin Nether had entered his body and damaged his meridians and foundation, extinguishing Ling Yan's Natal Fire. Only now had it been reignited with the Earth Fire Condensed Lotus, further fused with Yuan Tiangang's supremely yang power.
This technique, Nine Revolutions of Fire Refining, created by the Ling Family's ancestor, could theoretically reach the realm of heavenly beings after nine revolutions. However, the ninth revolution was merely an idea, nothing more than theory.
With the support of the Earth Fire Condensed Lotus and Yuan Tiangang's supremely yang power, Ling Yan had now reached the level of the Ling Family's ancestor—the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
His Natal Fire was even stronger than before.
Ling Yan was blazing now.
The might of heaven and earth spread from his body, filling the secret chamber with soaring flames. In a corner, Ling Feng and Ling Ying sat cross-legged on the ground, enclosed within a transparent barrier as they cultivated.
Over the past few days, Yuan Tiangang had personally demonstrated for them, while Ling Yan had taught them through firsthand examples. Both had benefited greatly, especially Ling Feng, since he too cultivated Nine Revolutions of Fire Refining.
As the flames in the secret chamber gathered together and a lotus-like golden flame burned fiercely above Ling Yan's head, Yuan Tiangang knew it had succeeded.
With a tap of Yuan Tiangang's right toe, the restrictions of heaven and earth within the secret chamber were withdrawn.
How could such an occasion go without celebration?
The instant the flames entered Ling Yan's body, golden ripples of fire spread in every direction.
The aura around him, carrying the might of heaven and earth, shot straight into the skies.
The entirety of Tiandu City seemed to have returned to the height of summer. The snow on the ground melted rapidly, while snowflakes in the sky vanished before they could even fall.
Ordinary people and martial artists in Tiandu City merely felt the weather turn as scorching as midsummer. Yet the experts who had entered the Three Realms of Earth all sensed that majestic force of heaven and earth, like a blazing sun that seemed capable of burning everything to ash.
They all turned toward Duke Fu's Mansion.
Duke Fu's Mansion had become like a furnace, and everyone within fled in every direction.
Even those nearby found the heat unbearable.
Within Dragon Abode Palace of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Gan, Chu Tianxiong, sat high upon the Dragon Throne. In his right hand, he toyed with a small bronze cauldron engraved with the words "Mountains and Rivers," repeatedly tossing it up and catching it.
Suddenly, as though he had sensed something, Chu Tianxiong looked in a certain direction with an intrigued expression.
Two figures silently appeared behind Chu Tianxiong.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"No need for ceremony, Ancestors."
Chu Tianxiong was not surprised by the two men behind him.
One of them, a white-haired old man, spoke with a complicated look in his eyes.
"Ling Yan has broken through."
His voice seemed both wistful and emotional.
Indeed. He too was only at the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm, yet Ling Yan had also reached the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
Ling Yan was more than a hundred years younger than him.
Hearing the old man's sigh, Emperor Gan, Chu Tianxiong, also spoke.
"That old bastard hasn't shown his face much these past few decades. I thought he was about to die!
Who would have thought he would break through now?"
The other, a middle-aged man, revealed a contemplative expression.
"Your Majesty, should we test him—"
Before the middle-aged man could finish, Chu Tianxiong interrupted him.
"No need. The more moves we make, the more mistakes we make. By remaining unchanged, we can respond to all changes.
He is merely at the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm. It is not yet time."
Chu Tianxiong continued his questioning.
"How are things in Haizhou? Any abnormalities?"
The middle-aged man promptly replied.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. There have been no abnormalities, and Ninth Brother is there as well."
"Li Yi."
Upon hearing the emperor's summons, Li Yi, the chief eunuch waiting outside, hurried into the hall.
After bowing to Chu Tianxiong, he also bowed to the two Imperial Clan Ancestors.
"Duke Fu's Mansion has remained loyal to the nation and rendered great service through hard work. Bestow upon them one stalk of Heart Burning Grass."
Within Duke Ding's Mansion, a burly man looked up toward Duke Fu's Mansion with a furious expression.
Sensing that heaven-burning scorching aura and witnessing the might of heaven and earth, the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm, he clenched his fists.
As brothers who had plowed the same fields and slept in the same trenches, he knew that aura all too well, along with that peerless Nine Revolutions of Fire Refining.
"Old Ling, you really deserve to die!"
The burly man's voice was hysterical, almost a roar.
Among the Four Great Dukes, Duke An's Mansion was the strongest. That old fellow was at the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm. Duke Wei's Mansion was the weakest, at the early Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
As for him and Ling Yan, they were nearly the same age. They had advanced side by side all the way to the middle Celestial Phenomenon Realm, and their strength had never differed much.
Yet that bastard had secretly worked hard behind his back. Most importantly, he had actually succeeded.
I haven't even succeeded yet, but you did?
Wouldn't it have been nice for us to share second place?
It wasn't as though nobody was holding last place.
You just had to fight for first. You really deserve to die!
Thirty years ago, you obtained a Divine Weapon, which was already envy-inducing enough. Now your strength has risen too.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His face twisted with rage, jealousy, and envy.
With a wave of his hand, the current Duke Dingguo stepped forward.
"Go. Deliver a calling card and pay a visit to Ancestor Ling Yan, who has broken through to the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm."
He did not go personally. He knew Ling Yan had only just broken through and still needed to stabilize his foundation.
Within Duke An's Mansion, a white-haired old man gazed toward Duke Fu's Mansion, his eyes filled with gravity.
After Ling Yan broke through, he calmed his aura. The markings on his face gradually faded, and he dropped to both knees before Yuan Tiangang with an excited expression.
"Ling Yan thanks the Hall Master for the grace of remaking me."
Yuan Tiangang did not remain at Duke Fu's Mansion for long. Ling Yan still needed to stabilize his foundation, and after giving him a few instructions, Yuan Tiangang vanished with the Mysterious Feather Dao Robe.
Well, Yuan Tiangang had mentioned the Mysterious Feather Dao Robe, this Divine Weapon, in passing before, but Ling Yan had taken it to heart. He knew very well how he had reached the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
The Hall Master had pushed him there with his own hands. Now that Ling Yan was already at the late Celestial Phenomenon Realm, there was no need to conceal it any longer.
Though that Divine Weapon would greatly aid Ling Yan in battle and enhance his personal strength, it ultimately could not compare to the sense of security brought by his own cultivation.
Thus, Ling Yan still gave the Mysterious Feather Dao Robe to Yuan Tiangang as thanks.
Perhaps Yuan Tiangang did not think much of it. After all, this man wielded a divine artifact!
But whether the other party accepted it, whether one gave it, and whether it was valued were entirely different matters.
The other party could refuse it, but you could not fail to offer it.
Perhaps the other party did not care about such petty gains and looked down on what little you had.
But you had to understand where these things came from. You needed to keep your own scales balanced. If you wanted long-term development and a firm foothold, handling relationships was indispensable.
The Martial World was not all about fighting and killing. The Martial World was about human ties and social dealings.
Ling Yan's eruption of aura had lasted only an instant, but every force with even a little foundation in Tiandu City knew that the pillar holding up Duke Fu's Mansion had grown stronger.
For a time, calling cards flooded Duke Fu's Mansion, and visitors arrived from all directions without end.
Even though Chu Xuanao understood the situation clearly, he still had to keep up appearances and sent someone with a calling card.
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