Provocation

[You have cultivated bitterly for a year. Your true qi has grown increasingly condensed, but you have not yet been able to condense your divine sense. Your cultivation base has temporarily made no substantive breakthrough.]

[You have cultivated bitterly for a year. Your true qi has grown increasingly condensed, but you have not yet been able to condense your divine sense. Your cultivation base has temporarily made no substantive breakthrough.]

[You have cultivated bitterly for a year. Your true qi has grown increasingly condensed, and your spiritual power has greatly improved, but you lack the opportunity to condense your divine sense. Your cultivation base has temporarily made no substantive breakthrough.]

Three days passed.

Fang Yuan stayed within his detached courtyard, never leaving, training the entire time.

The true qi generated within his body had already become extremely dense.

True qi is inherently formless and colorless; the shape it takes when manifested depends entirely on one's cultivation method and martial techniques.

At this moment, the true qi gathered in Fang Yuan's dantian and acupoints appeared as a thick, white mist—a sign of having been refined to the utmost limit.

Although the Heavenly Origin Earth Realm provided little enhancement to spirit and physique, even a mosquito's leg is still meat; any improvement was welcome.

And through tempering his spirit with the Spirit Gathering Pill, Fang Yuan had begun attempting to condense his divine sense over the past two days.

Though he had not succeeded, his spiritual power grew stronger and stronger; he was merely missing an opportunity.

"You're going to condense your divine sense?"

In the family head's study, Fang Zhongwu looked at Fang Yuan with a face full of surprise, stunned for a full moment.

Although he knew his own son had already reached the Ninth Layer Houtian Realm, and that condensing divine sense and even breaking through to Foundation Establishment was only a matter of time.

But this was simply too fast.

A Foundation Establishment True Person under twenty years old was unprecedented in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Even in the great sects, where geniuses were as common as clouds, such a rate of progress would be enough to shock the world.

"It seems you'll soon be able to take over my position." Fang Zhongwu's face showed a look of relief.

Fang Yuan shook his head repeatedly, like a rattle-drum.

What he wanted was to reach the peak, to set foot on the path of immortality; taking charge of a family clan was still a bit too much for him.

"Condensing divine sense is different from raising your cultivation base. Not only do you need sufficient spiritual strength, but you must also pay attention to balance and the critical threshold."

The problem Fang Yuan faced was not unique.

Experts stuck at the Ninth Layer Houtian Realm were as numerous as fish crossing a river.

This step could trap someone for decades, even a hundred years, and it was common for people to never cross it in their entire lives.

"Dream Soul Flowers and Divine Origin Fruits are both heavenly treasures that greatly benefit the enhancement of divine sense."

Fang Zhongwu spoke slowly: "If you can find one of them, it will be enough for you to condense your divine sense, or even take a step further."

Spirit-type medicinal herbs had always been extremely precious, with a price but no market.

Even a powerful family like the Fang Family had no surplus in their stock; they could only send people out to gather information and search for this kind of spirit medicine.

"I've sent some men deep into Falling Mist Mountain. We should have news soon."

It seemed Fang Zhongwu had started preparing long ago.

Fang Yuan was deeply moved.

"If you really want to think of me, take over my burden sooner, so I can go find your mother." Fang Zhongwu said with a smile.

A father so eager to retire—how was one to deal with that?

"Also, don't dwell too much on your mother's matters. She's living better than we are now... maybe she just misses me a lot..."

Fang Zhongwu looked at his son, who seemed to want to speak but hesitated, and took the initiative to say the words. A rare trace of tenderness appeared on his face.

Fang Yuan: ...

"I should at least have the right to know about my mother's affairs."

Fang Zhongwu thought it over. Keeping it from his son all along really wasn't good, so he weighed his words and said:

"Your mother and I made an agreement. If your talent was mediocre, you would live as a wealthy scion your whole life, passing your years in peace."

Fang Yuan looked at his cheap father, waiting for the rest.

Who would have thought the two of them would just stare at each other, not a single word spoken.

"Father, this son dares to ask—when did you break through to Foundation Establishment?"

Fang Yuan broke the silence.

"At twenty-nine."

Fang Yuan was slightly startled. He remembered that the fastest record for breaking through to Foundation Establishment in the Great Zhou Dynasty was thirty-six!

He didn't doubt the truth of his father's words, but he was puzzled.

"Are you wondering why it doesn't match the record?"

Fang Zhongwu explained with a smile: "Because I went out to train when I was very young. Outsiders had no way of knowing."

"Besides, I'm a fairly low-key person. I don't really care about empty worldly fame, so there's no need to make a big show of it."

Fang Zhongwu clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. His tone was calm, but the pride on his face was hard to conceal.

"Then my talent should still be a bit higher than the old man's, right?"

Fang Yuan hadn't forgotten the main issue and "deliberately" reminded him.

"Wait until you step into the Foundation Building Realm before you say that. That's the first true gate of cultivation, where talent first shows itself." Fang Zhongwu refused mercilessly.

Seeing that his father didn't want to continue, Fang Yuan had no choice but to drop it. He bowed and left.

"The speed at which you're growing now is far faster than I imagined. I'm also curious just how far your talent will reach."

What Fang Zhongwu said about the Foundation Building Realm being the true start of the cultivation path wasn't nonsense.

Because when one cultivates to the Foundation Building Realm, their talent fully reveals itself.

Such as awakening a special physique, or bloodline, or even spiritual roots manifesting outwardly.

And there were an extremely rare few prodigies who, upon breaking through to Foundation Building, would trigger heavenly phenomena with their awakened talent, marking them as destined for greatness.

To go far on the path of cultivation, talent was crucial.

How many geniuses shone brilliantly before Foundation Building, only to become utterly ordinary once they reached it?

"Seventh Elder, I'd trouble you to head to Falling Mist Mountain recently to gather herbs. Please keep an eye out for these spiritual medicines."

"You're too kind, Clan Leader."

Back in his courtyard, Fang Yuan continued his intense training, wanting to master the martial skill Myriad Star Fist as quickly as possible.

Xiao Zi came to the courtyard with a worried expression. Seeing Fang Yuan still training, she stood silently to the side, not daring to disturb him.

A quarter of an hour later.

Fang Yuan withdrew his fist. After his maidservant wiped away his sweat, he changed into a fresh set of clothes, lay down in a chair, and glanced at Xiao Zi.

"Is there something going on?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, there's been a situation at the Rain Listening Pavilion." Xiao Zi replied respectfully.

After listening to Xiao Zi's account, Fang Yuan's face darkened.

"Why wasn't this said earlier? And what's the background of this Lin Clan?"

In recent days, a young master surnamed Lin had been frequently harassing a female disciple of the Rain Listening Pavilion who was responsible for external procurement.

At first, the female disciple silently endured it, but the other party's behavior grew increasingly excessive, even trying to forcibly take her back to his residence.

As one of the three premier establishments of romance in the Prefecture City, the Drunken Dream Pavilion had high standards for selecting people.

The female disciples Fang Yuan had rescued all had graceful figures and outstanding looks.

But in the inner city, a clan's young master who dared to act recklessly like this likely had a decent background.

"The Lin Clan is a third-rate family. They only have one Foundation Establishment True Person sitting in charge, plus a little over twenty Innate Realm experts."

"Third-rate family?" Fang Yuan sneered. "One Foundation Building Realm sitting in charge—probably barely broke through. Not even worth mentioning."

Fang Yuan's guess wasn't wrong. The Lin Clan originally had no Foundation Establishment True Person; that old ancestor had only recently broken through.

To celebrate the old ancestor's breakthrough, the Lin Clan had even specially sent invitations to the major noble families.

Generally, to be considered a passable family in the Prefecture City, one needed at least four or five Foundation Establishment True Persons and over fifty Innate Realm experts.

The Lin Clan was, at best, a watered-down version of Green Ridge Stronghold.

"When the Rain Listening Pavilion acted, did they mention the Fang Family's name?" Fang Yuan asked.

"Per the Young Master's orders, the Rain Listening Pavilion operates independently of the Fang Family. The disciples within all strictly follow the rules."

"Xiao Zi, you'll come with me to the Rain Listening Pavilion later."

"Young Master, aren't you supposed to attend the banquet at the Imperial Fragrance Tower tonight?" Xiao Zi reminded him.

"It's still early. It won't be a problem."