"Could the Murong Family be preparing to break off the engagement?"
Fang Yuan's eyelid twitched.
A series of scenes had already surfaced in his mind, the whole sequence playing out in perfect detail.
They looked down on him, came to provoke him, tore up the engagement, and humiliated him...
Then he was supposed to shout at just the right moment, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river."
At the thought, his head had already begun to ache.
"What are you thinking?" Fang Zhongwu stared at him in astonishment for a moment, then asked seriously, "Where did you hear this rumor about them breaking off the engagement?"
Fang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't particularly care about this fiancée of his, but if things played out like that, it would still be rather exasperating.
"Back then, the Murong Family was the one that took the initiative and asked to form a marriage alliance."
Fang Zhongwu deliberately left out the Azure Cloud Sect as he continued, "Now that something's happened, it's only natural they might have second thoughts, but it's unlikely they'll break off the engagement."
The Murong Family was a prominent family in the Royal City and cared deeply about its reputation. If they broke off the engagement right after his accident, what would people think?
Half a year ago, before Fang Yuan had taken part in the Azure Cloud Sect's trial, the Murong Family had sent someone to propose the marriage.
They had clearly been placing a bet on him.
"I remember looking after that fiancée I barely knew during the trial. She should be a formal disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect now."
Some memories surfaced in Fang Yuan's mind.
Becoming a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Her status was now comparable to that of a prince or princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, truly exalted.
As for him, he was merely the Young Master of an Aristocratic Clan in Prefecture City. Their statuses were still worlds apart.
By any ordinary logic, Fang Yuan felt it was only a matter of time before the engagement was broken off.
In that case, he might as well take the initiative, divorce her, and give her her freedom.
Fang Yuan told his cheap old man what he was thinking.
At his words, Fang Zhongwu's eyes widened. It was as if Fang Yuan's bizarre train of thought had stunned him, and displeasure immediately rose in him.
"This isn't child's play. If you do that, you'll completely offend the Murong Family."
The Fang Family's overall strength was only a little weaker than that of the great families in the Royal City.
But that didn't mean the Fang Family could disregard the Murong Family's attitude and break off the engagement at will.
"Then let's leave it at that."
Fang Yuan sighed. He didn't want to keep fretting over something that might never happen, so he put away the medicinal herbs and prepared to leave the study.
"Dad, when are you going to give me a Space Ring? Carrying all this stuff around is tiring." Fang Yuan blurted it out.
A mustard seed could contain Mount Sumeru; Mount Sumeru could fit inside a mustard seed.
A Space Ring contained its own pocket dimension and could store items. It had all sorts of wondrous uses.
"With your current cultivation, wearing a Space Ring would be like announcing to everyone that you're a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered."
Fang Zhongwu didn't hold back in his criticism.
Space Rings were extremely expensive. Even a small, ordinary family in Prefecture City couldn't afford one, even if they spent their entire fortune.
They were practically priceless, even when you could find one for sale.
"For now, make do with a Cosmic Pouch. When you reach the Foundation Building Realm, I'll give you one."
Fang Zhongwu took a pale-gray cloth pouch from the cabinet beneath the desk. It was only palm-sized and looked completely ordinary.
"Thanks, Dad."
A Cosmic Pouch contained its own space and worked just like a Space Ring. It usually held less, but it was still expensive.
Even among the vast Fang Family, ordinary elders usually didn't have one.
Fang Yuan let a drop of blood fall on the Cosmic Pouch to make it recognize him as its owner. Then he swept up the medicinal herbs in one smooth motion and left.
"That boy seems a little different from before..."
Fang Zhongwu watched Fang Yuan leave. A hint of satisfaction appeared on his dignified face, and his eyes softened.
The old Fang Yuan had known nothing but martial arts. He had no understanding of emotions and was stubborn in the way he dealt with people.
Perhaps he did understand. He simply didn't want to waste time on such things.
"I can prepare to break through to the Xiantian Realm."
Back in his room, Fang Yuan took a deep breath and steadied himself, ready to return to his peak.
He opened the jade bottle containing the Qi Condensation Pills and was surprised to find three pills inside, all of perfect quality.
Veins of pill markings covered the round pills, like raised blue veins beneath human skin. They gave off a faint, pleasant fragrance.
"Looks like Dad knew I'd made a promise, so he gave me extra pills on purpose."
Fang Yuan had promised onstage to give Fang Ke'er a Qi Condensation Pill when she broke through to the Xiantian Realm. There was clearly one extra here.
Otherwise, two pills would usually have been more than enough.
"To reach the Xiantian Realm, you have to keep refining the true qi in your body until it gathers into a pillar in your Dantian."
"You can't be interrupted midway, and true qi has to keep pouring in without end before the pillar can form in your Dantian."
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged and gently closed his eyes. He quietly began circulating the Mysterious Bright Art, his consciousness sinking deep into his Dantian.
Before taking the pill, Fang Yuan tried to refine his true qi further, but found that its quality was already very high and there was no room for improvement.
"Looks like that year of hard cultivation in the Heavenly Origin Earth Realm wasn't for nothing."
Though he hadn't managed to return to the Xiantian Realm, he had laid a solid foundation—something he'd never managed before.
Think about it: once you reached the Houtian Ninth Layer, who wouldn't want to hurry up and break through to the Xiantian Realm?
Who would keep polishing their cultivation at the same level?
Having skipped the refining step, Fang Yuan swallowed the Qi Condensation Pill, and its effects quickly spread through his body.
The first thing to react was the true qi in his Dantian. In an instant, it surged and filled his entire Dantian, with the pressure continuing to build.
Fang Yuan concentrated, hurriedly gathering the true qi in his body at the center of his Dantian. He poured it into the invisible pillar taking shape there.
Otherwise, once the true qi in his Dantian exceeded its limit, it would explode!
The process was dull and mechanical.
No one knew how much time had passed.
At the center of Fang Yuan's Dantian, a towering pillar of true qi appeared, like a Sea-Calming Divine Needle capable of suppressing all the true qi surging through his body.
At the same time.
Fang Yuan's eyes snapped open, gleaming with light. Invisible ripples spread from his body, making the windows creak.
The sudden commotion made the servants curious, but because of Fang Yuan's warning, none of them dared to move.
Before long, Fang Yuan reined in his aura, and everything settled into stillness.
"The Xiantian Realm really is far stronger than before."
Fang Yuan clenched his powerful fist. The amount of true qi in his body had increased by more than tenfold.
"I'm fine."
Fang Yuan opened the door and sent away the worried servants gathered outside. Then he looked at the maid and asked,
"Did you prepare anything to eat?"
Fang Yuan ate a lot every day now, as if his body needed a tremendous amount of energy to replenish itself.
Fortunately, he was in the Fang Family.
Even ordinary Xiantian Realm cultivators couldn't afford to eat demonic beast meat every day, let alone spiritual herbs simmered in a stew.
Fang Yuan stood in the courtyard, watching the sunset-red sky, beautiful as a painting. He was inexplicably dazed for a moment.
"Almost a whole day has gone by."
Fang Yuan was glad that forming the Dantian Pillar hadn't taken too long. Otherwise, he would have missed his chance to add points today!
After eating his fill, Fang Yuan enjoyed the attentions of a beautiful maid, then began his cultivation routine.
Add points!
[You cultivated diligently for a year. The true qi coiled around your Dantian Pillar increased by three layers, growing ever more refined. Your cultivation reached the Xiantian Third Layer!]
Before you continue