Promotion to Meridian Condensing Realm

"How strong is the Royal Ancestor who's been in seclusion at the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect?"

Lin Fan couldn't help pressing further.

But Wang Yuyao only shook her head in confusion.

She was just a captured princess—how would she know anything about the Royal Ancestor?

Lin Fan realized he wouldn't get much information, so he stopped asking.

Just then, Wang Yuyao's face flushed crimson, as if she were drunk, and she looked at Lin Fan with dazed eyes.

Her delicate body grew scorching hot, and a fierce urge began to drive her closer to Lin Fan, while waves of intense shame and guilt crashed over her like a tide.

She parted her small lips, her breathing turning heavy as she inhaled the masculine scent from Lin Fan, her whole body going numb and weak.

Suddenly, she let out an involuntary moan, and without thinking, she lunged toward Lin Fan.

Wang Yuyao clung to him like an octopus, her faint body fragrance stirring a heat deep within Lin Fan as well.

Zhou Wanqing opened her mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.

Fortunately, Lin Fan was clear-headed, knowing it was the Infatuation Pill steadily taking effect, igniting the desires buried deep in 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 rest in another room."

With that, without waiting for Zhou Wanqing's response, Lin Fan strode out quickly.

"Brother Lin..."

Watching Lin Fan's fleeing back, Zhou Wanqing's beautiful eyes sparkled, and she felt more certain than ever that she hadn't chosen the wrong man.

"But what to do about this princess?"

She turned her gaze to Wang Yuyao, who was drenched in sweat on the bed, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Lin Fan lay on the soft bed, but his mind couldn't settle for a long time.

"At least it's comfortable sleeping here."

Here, Lin Fan could finally get a good night's rest, without worrying about those Bloodthirsty Demonic Insects banging on the door at any moment.

Still, a faint unease gnawed at Lin Fan's heart. If what Wang Yuyao said was true, then the Blood Demon Sect and the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect might very well go to war one day.

If two such behemoths clashed, the ones who'd suffer the worst losses would be cannon fodder like him—a mere Formal Disciple.

Though Formal Disciples ranked far above Menial Disciples, in the grand scheme of the entire sect, they were hardly rare figures.

Take Blood Soul Peak alone—there were at least several hundred Formal Disciples.

"Still not strong enough. I have to hurry and keep raising my power."

Lin Fan thought to himself.

With that thought, he immediately connected with his panel.

[Consume eighty years of lifespan to pre-emptively advance Intermediate Demonic Arts to Perfection?]

A line of text appeared before Lin Fan.

"Agree to the pre-emptive advance."

Lin Fan decided without hesitation.

The next second, the final insights regarding the "Intermediate Demonic Arts" flooded into his mind.

An image surfaced—a youth who resembled Lin Fan, holding a sharp sword, practicing an extraordinary sword technique.

The sword moves were fierce and cunning, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, starting clumsy and ending perfectly fluid.

"First fists, then legs, and now the sword."

"The more skilled the sword technique, the better it draws Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into my body."

Lin Fan's eyes lit up as understanding dawned.

He immediately sprang up, grabbed a wooden stick to use as a sword, and began practicing according to the youth's movements in the image.

The room was spacious, and each bedroom was separated by curtains, so Lin Fan wasn't worried about catching Zhou Wanqing's or Wang Yuyao's attention.

Using the stick as a sword, his movements went from slow to fast—thrusting, pointing, flicking, sweeping, chopping...

Lin Fan's sword strikes grew faster and faster, his motions increasingly fluid, until finally they resonated with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. Invisible energy gathered from all directions, pouring endlessly into his body.

Soon, Lin Fan felt the more than twenty strands of Internal Force, like hemp ropes inside him, merge together in an incredible transformation, condensing into a far stronger and purer energy.

"Internal Force becomes Internal Breath, Minor Accomplishment in Internal Breath—Meridian Condensing Realm!"

Lin Fan's body trembled, his face full of shock.

He quickly summoned his panel to check his latest changes.

[Name: Lin Fan]

[Lifespan: 535]

[Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit]

[Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (First Grade)]

[Technique: Intermediate Demonic Arts (Perfected), Blood Gathering Art (Mastered)]

"Just as I thought!"

Lin Fan revealed a faint smile.

For a Spirit Gathering Realm cultivator to advance to the Meridian Condensing Realm, they must convert the Internal Force within their body into Internal Breath, only then can they smoothly break through the realm.

A long time ago, Lin Fan had already used the panel and the help of the Pre-emptive Dao Fruit to elevate the "Intermediate Demonic Arts" to the Great Completion stage, and his cultivation naturally rose to the ninth grade of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

But in the period that followed, Lin Fan had been unable to smoothly convert Internal Force into Internal Breath. He never expected to succeed today.

"It should be related to the sword technique I just practiced."

Lin Fan thought to himself.

"Right, now that I'm a Formal Disciple, can I still return to the Hidden Scripture Pavilion to copy books?"

"If I can't copy books, then I won't be able to keep gaining lifespan to pre-pay technique proficiency through the panel."

Lin Fan suddenly remembered this problem.

After pondering for a moment, he rubbed his brow, too lazy to think further, and decided to get a good night's sleep first and deal with it tomorrow.

Inside a Cave Mansion.

Feng Ling was sizing up the handsome man before her.

The other party had a sturdy build and sharply defined features, but at this moment, his expression was panicked, and the way he looked at her was as if he were staring at a Demoness in terror.

"I know you are the Heir of Prince Guangling, and that you were also captured and brought to the Demon Sect. I won't hurt you."

"But to be on the safe side..."

She hesitated for a moment, then still picked up the Infatuation Pill on the table and directly fed it to the man.

"I'm sorry, but I have to avenge Senior Sister, so I can't afford any slip-ups."

Feng Ling took a deep breath. Before the Infatuation Pill could take effect on the Heir of Prince Guangling, she directly slapped him unconscious with a single palm strike.

The next morning.

Lin Fan walked out of his Cave Mansion. Just as he stretched lazily, he saw the stone door opposite slowly open as well.

A woman dressed in black robes, with a slender waist and long legs, stepped out from inside.

Feng Ling glanced at Lin Fan, a complex look in her beautiful eyes, but she still came over and asked with a smile, "Slept well last night, didn't you?"

Lin Fan smiled faintly and said, "With a beauty in my arms, naturally it was comfortable."

"And Sister Feng, you must have rested well last night too, right?"

Feng Ling's delicate brows furrowed slightly, but quickly relaxed as she said casually, "It was alright."

Just as the two were talking, another stone door not far away opened, and Wang Biao walked out looking refreshed.

"Junior Brother Lin and Junior Sister Feng, you both look well."

"Were you well served last night?"

Wang Biao greeted them with a smile.

Since they had all become Formal Disciples at the same time, the three of them had their Cave Mansions arranged very close together.

But just as his words fell, Lin Fan and Feng Ling both tacitly ignored him.

Wang Biao gave an awkward smile but didn't take it to heart.

"Let's go. Senior Brother Zhao is still waiting for us at the Transmission Hall."

Feng Ling spoke first.

Soon after, Lin Fan and Feng Ling arrived at the Transmission Hall one after the other, while Wang Biao leisurely followed behind the two of them.

Zhao Wang had already been waiting here for a long time.

"Everyone's here."

Zhao Wang nodded slightly, then took out several booklets and handed them out to the three one by one.

"Each of you has two booklets. One is the 'Intermediate Demonic Arts,' the technique practiced by the outer sect disciples of Blackwood Cliff."

"As for this other one, it is the 'Talisman Secret Tome.'"