The levels of martial skills, from lowest to highest, were Initiate, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Peak, and Perfection.
With his movement technique at the Perfection level, Fang Yuan was in his element during battle. His opponent couldn't even touch the hem of his robe.
"Can you do anything besides dodge?"
Fang Yuan'er was growing frustrated, as if he had plenty of strength but nowhere to channel it.
Fang Yuan remained calm and unhurried, moving through the Phantom Step. Within the limited space, he drifted like a ghost.
Clang!
Suddenly, a sword rang out.
The snow-white blade cut straight through Fang Yuan'er's unbroken flurry of sword strikes, stabbing toward his heart.
Fang Yuan'er was shocked.
He retreated again and again, while simultaneously channeling true qi to coat his body in a faint membrane, trying to withdraw his sword and defend himself.
Bang...
But Fang Yuan's strike was simply too fast and too fierce. It tore through the true qi armor outright, with a sharp crack.
In the end, the sword tip stopped less than a finger's breadth from Fang Yuan'er's neck.
One sword, and his opponent was defeated!
"How is that possible?"
Fang Yuan'er stared blankly at the sharp sword before him, which could take his life at any moment. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
From the moment he attacked, he had given it everything.
He had even reacted quickly, channeling true qi to form armor, but the armor might as well have been made of paper. It had been utterly useless.
"What astonishing combat talent. His command of the battle's rhythm is incredibly precise."
Others might have seen only a single sword strike.
But in the Fifth Elder's eyes, landing that strike had been no easy feat.
It required rich combat experience, a keen sense of timing, and even the ability to channel true qi in an instant!
"After the Azure Cloud Sect's trial, Yuan'er's combat skill has improved even further."
The Fifth Elder seemed to think of something and sighed faintly. "It's just a pity..."
On the platform, Fang Yuan sheathed his sword and looked at Fang Yuan'er, who seemed utterly dejected. He said calmly:
"If you don't accept defeat, we can keep going!"
Fang Yuan'er was silent for a long while before slowly raising his head and cupping his hands. "My skills are inferior. I concede."
It wasn't that he couldn't accept losing.
He just couldn't accept losing so quickly, especially after breaking through to the Xiantian Realm.
"This match goes to Fang Yuan!"
The Fifth Elder, serving as temporary referee, declared the result with finality.
"I thought it'd be an exciting battle. I didn't expect it to end so quickly," someone said, still wanting more.
"A quarter of an hour?" someone scoffed. "It didn't even last fifty breaths."
"The Young Master is mighty!"
"I knew this would happen. Fang Yuan'er was a little too confident in himself."
The female disciples who admired Fang Yuan gazed at him with undisguised adoration, their eyes sparkling.
"From now on, that mountain may be impossible to cross."
The disciples who had once entertained such hopes saw every one of their fantasies shatter.
They had thought that reaching the Xiantian Realm would narrow the gap between them and Fang Yuan. The truth, however, was that the gap had only grown wider.
"The clan competition will be held soon. I hope you'll all train diligently and achieve good results."
Standing on the platform, Fang Yuan smiled at his fellow clansmen and offered them words of encouragement without reservation.
"We'll certainly keep pace with the Young Master!"
Fang Yuan smiled, returned the three-foot sword to Ke'er, and walked off the platform. Under the gazes of the crowd, his figure gradually disappeared.
"If Fang Yuan'er hadn't just entered the Xiantian Realm, I don't think I could've beaten him so easily."
On the way to his cheap old man's study, Fang Yuan reviewed the battle and silently reflected.
That last strike had been the Perfection-level Gale Nine Swords—swift as lightning, all nine swords combined into one.
It had looked effortless to outsiders, but in truth, he had used up more than half the true qi in his body just to pierce Fang Yuan'er's true qi armor.
And that was only because Fang Yuan'er hadn't fully mastered his own strength.
If Fang Yuan'er had insisted on continuing the fight, Fang Yuan would have had to work hard to win.
Of course, Fang Yuan knew what that guy was like. He would never do such a thing, which was why Fang Yuan had struck as he did.
"The gap between the Xiantian Realm and the Houtian Realm really is huge!"
Defeating an opponent across realms wasn't easy. Otherwise, what would be the point of having realms at all? They might as well be decorations.
Given enough time, a Xiantian Realm expert could slaughter dozens or even hundreds of Houtian Ninth Layer cultivators without much difficulty.
The farther one advanced, the harder it became to make up for the gap in cultivation realms.
Even being invincible among one's peers was already an exceedingly rare talent.
"I still need to break through to the Xiantian Realm as soon as possible. Otherwise, it's too much trouble."
Compared to defeating opponents across realms, Fang Yuan preferred crushing them with superior cultivation. Wasn't that much easier?
"With the talent of the Heavenly Origin Earth Realm backing me, my cultivation will stay far ahead of my peers—and may even surpass that of the older generation."
Before long, Fang Yuan arrived at his father's study.
The study was simply furnished. Most of the books were just for show, piled on shelves that had been placed around the room.
Fang Zhongwu sat at the desk, still reading a dossier, his brows slightly furrowed.
Fang Yuan didn't disturb him. He simply picked up a teacup and sipped his tea.
A moment later, Fang Zhongwu set down the dossier in his hands, looking rather displeased.
"A bunch of bandits and thieves dare covet our family's mines? They've got some nerve."
Fang Yuan said nothing.
The Fang Family had many businesses and a vast estate. It was only natural that they would sometimes be harassed by petty fools who didn't know their place.
"I heard you fought Fang Yuan'er just now?" Fang Zhongwu's mood settled, and he asked with a smile.
Fang Yuan spread his hands helplessly. "He declared war on me in public. I couldn't just leave him unanswered, could I?"
As the head of the Fang Family, nothing that happened in the clan escaped Fang Zhongwu's notice.
Fang Yuan could even guess that his father had seen every moment of the fight.
"No wonder you asked me for a Qi Condensation Pill. Are you about to return to the Xiantian Realm?"
Fang Zhongwu suddenly felt that he couldn't see through his son. It was as if a thick fog surrounded him, making him impossible to fathom.
It had only been a few days since he destroyed his Dantian, and already he was about to return to his peak.
"More or less," Fang Yuan replied ambiguously.
Fang Zhongwu didn't ask further. With a wave of his hand, a pile of precious medicinal herbs appeared before him, their rich fragrance filling the room.
"This is the Qi Condensation Pill."
A white jade bottle sat to the right of Fang Zhongwu.
"Do you need me to protect you while you return to the Xiantian Realm?" Fang Zhongwu asked, concerned.
"It won't be too difficult. I'm just walking the same road again."
Fang Zhongwu still trusted his son's talent and nodded slightly.
"By the way, I think that girl Ke'er has feelings for you. Why don't you—"
Before Fang Zhongwu could finish, Fang Yuan immediately raised a hand to stop him, eyes widening.
"Come on, don't go making matches for me. I'm still young."
Fang Zhongwu looked displeased. "In a few years, you'll be able to take my place. It's time you started thinking about marriage."
"Can't you take on your responsibilities sooner and build up the family?"
Fang Yuan was helpless. He merely said, "Have you forgotten? I'm already engaged."
"Ah, I nearly forgot about that."
Fang Zhongwu thought for a moment, and his expression grew grave.
"In a few days, it'll be time for our family's ancestral rites. The branch family should send someone over as well."
"You didn't pass the Azure Cloud Sect's trial. The Murong Family may have their own ideas..."
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