"How powerful is the Royal Ancestor who has been cultivating in seclusion at the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect?"
Lin Fan could not help asking.
However, Wang Yuyao shook her head blankly.
She was merely a captive princess, so how could she know anything about the Royal Ancestor?
Lin Fan knew he would not get much information, so he stopped asking.
At that moment, Wang Yuyao's face flushed crimson, and she looked as if she were drunk, her misty eyes turning toward Lin Fan.
Her delicate body grew scorching hot. A powerful desire began urging her to move closer to Lin Fan, while intense shame and a sense of taboo crashed over her in wave after wave.
She parted her small lips, her breathing growing ragged. As she inhaled the masculine scent from Lin Fan's body, her entire body nearly went limp with tingling pleasure.
Suddenly, she could not help but cried out, her whole body instinctively pouncing toward Lin Fan.
Wang Yuyao wrapped herself tightly around Lin Fan like an octopus. Her faint natural fragrance caused Lin Fan's heart to burn fiercely as well.
Zhou Wanqing had just been about to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Fortunately, Lin Fan was perfectly clear-headed. He knew that the Infatuation Pill was continuing to take effect, igniting the desire buried deep within Wang Yuyao's heart.
He carried Wang Yuyao to the bed and said to Zhou Wanqing beside him, "Wanqing, keep an eye on her tonight. I'll go rest in another room."
With that, before Zhou Wanqing could react, Lin Fan quickly walked out.
"Brother Lin..."
Watching Lin Fan's fleeing back, Zhou Wanqing's beautiful eyes shone brightly. She felt more and more certain that she had not followed the wrong person.
"But what should I do about this princess?"
She looked again at Wang Yuyao, who was drenched in fragrant sweat on the bed, and slightly furrowed her brows.
Lin Fan lay on the soft bed, but his mood remained unsettled for a long time.
"It really is more comfortable sleeping here."
Here, Lin Fan could finally get a good night's sleep. At the very least, he did not have to worry about the Bloodthirsty Demonic Insects that might come crashing through the door at any moment.
However, Lin Fan felt vaguely uneasy. If what Wang Yuyao had said was true, then the Blood Demon Sect and the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect might very well go to war one day in the future.
If two colossal powers went to war, those who would suffer the heaviest losses would absolutely be Formal Disciples like him, cannon fodder for all intents and purposes.
Although Formal Disciples had a much higher status than Menial Disciples, within such a vast sect, they truly were nothing special.
Take Blood Soul Peak alone. There were at least several hundred Formal Disciples.
"My strength is still insufficient. I have to hurry and continue increasing it."
Lin Fan thought to himself.
At that thought, he immediately connected with the panel.
Consume eighty years of lifespan to advance the Intermediate Demonic Art to mastery?
A line of text appeared before Lin Fan.
"Agree to the advance."
Lin Fan made the decision without hesitation.
The next second, the final insights regarding the "Intermediate Demonic Arts" surged into his mind.
An image emerged. A youth resembling Lin Fan held a sharp sword and practiced an extraordinary sword technique.
The sword moves were fierce and unpredictable, sometimes swift and sometimes slow. They progressed from initial awkwardness to utter proficiency.
"First fists, then legs, and now swordsmanship."
"The more proficient the swordsmanship, the more effectively it can guide Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into my body."
Lin Fan's eyes lit up, and he quickly understood.
He immediately flipped to his feet, casually picked up a wooden stick to use as a sword, and began practicing according to the movements of the youth in the image.
The room was spacious, and each bedroom was separated by hanging curtains, so Lin Fan did not worry about attracting Zhou Wanqing and Wang Yuyao's attention.
Using the stick as a sword, his movements went from slow to fast: thrusting, stabbing, lifting the sword, sweeping horizontally, cleaving downward...
Lin Fan's sword moves grew faster and faster, his movements increasingly fluid. In the end, they resonated with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy around him. Invisible spiritual energy converged from all directions and continuously poured into his body.
Very soon, Lin Fan felt the more than twenty strands of Internal Force in his body, which had been like hemp ropes, completely merging together through an incredible transformation and becoming an even more powerful and purer energy.
"Internal Force becomes breath, Internal Breath takes shape—the Meridian Condensing Realm!"
Lin Fan's body trembled, his face filled with shock.
He quickly summoned the panel and examined the latest changes within himself.
Name: Lin Fan Lifespan: 535 Talent: Advance Dao Fruit Cultivation: Meridian Condensation Realm (First Grade) Techniques: Intermediate Demonic Art (Mastery), Blood-Concealing Method (Proficient)
"It really was as I thought!"
A smile appeared on Lin Fan's face.
For a Spirit Gathering Realm cultivator to advance to the Meridian Condensing Realm, they had to transform the Internal Force within their body into Internal Breath before they could successfully break through.
Long ago, with the help of the panel and the Pre-emptive Dao Fruit, Lin Fan had already raised the "Intermediate Demonic Arts" to the Great Accomplishment stage, and his cultivation had risen with the tide to the Spirit Gathering Realm Ninth Grade.
Yet afterward, Lin Fan had remained unable to successfully transform his Internal Force into Internal Breath. He had not expected to succeed today.
"It should have something to do with the sword technique I practiced just now."
Lin Fan thought to himself.
"Right, I'm a Formal Disciple now. Can I still return to the Hidden Scripture Pavilion to copy books?"
"If I can't copy books, I won't be able to continue obtaining lifespan and use the panel to advance my Technique Proficiency."
Lin Fan suddenly remembered this problem.
After pondering for a moment, he rubbed his temples and could not be bothered to think about it any longer. He decided to get a good night's sleep and deal with it tomorrow.
Inside a cave dwelling.
Feng Ling was sizing up the handsome man before her.
The man had a sturdy, well-built frame and sharply defined features, but his expression was panicked at the moment. The look in his eyes was filled with the same terror one would have when facing a Demoness.
"I know you're the Heir of Prince Guangling, and that you were abducted to the demonic sect. I won't hurt you."
"But just to be safe..."
She pondered for a moment before picking up the Infatuation Pill on the table and directly giving it to the man.
"I'm sorry. I have to avenge Senior Sister, so I can't afford to leave too many flaws."
Feng Ling took a deep breath. Before the Infatuation Pill given to the Heir of Prince Guangling could take effect, she slapped him unconscious.
The next morning.
Lin Fan walked out of his cave dwelling. He had just stretched when he saw the stone door opposite him slowly opening as well.
A woman dressed in a Dark Robe, with a slender waist and long legs, walked out.
Feng Ling glanced at Lin Fan. Complicated emotions filled her beautiful eyes, but she still came over and asked with a smile, "You slept very comfortably last night, didn't you?"
Lin Fan smiled faintly. "With a beauty in my arms, naturally I did."
"Sister Feng, you rested well last night too, didn't you?"
Feng Ling's delicate brows drew together slightly, but soon relaxed again as she replied carelessly, "It was all right."
While the two were talking, another stone door opened in the distance, and Wang Biao walked out looking refreshed.
"Junior Brother Lin and Junior Sister Feng, you both look quite well."
"Were you served very well last night?"
Wang Biao greeted them with a grin.
Since the three of them had become Formal Disciples at the same time, their cave dwellings had been arranged very close to one another.
Who would have thought that the moment his voice fell, Lin Fan and Feng Ling would both tacitly ignore him.
Wang Biao smiled awkwardly, but did not take it to heart.
"Let's go. Senior Brother Zhao is still waiting for us in the Transmission Hall."
Feng Ling spoke first.
Not long afterward, Lin Fan and Feng Ling arrived at the Transmission Hall one after the other, while Wang Biao ambled along behind them.
Zhao Wang had already been waiting here for quite some time.
"Everyone is here."
Zhao Wang nodded slightly, then took out several booklets and handed them to the three of them one by one.
"Each of you has two booklets. One is the 'Intermediate Demonic Arts,' the cultivation method practiced by the Outer Disciples of Blackwood Cliff."
"As for the other one, it is the 'Talisman Secret Tome.'"
Before you continue