" Fang Han?"
A hint of surprise, barely concealed, flashed in You Xin's narrow eyes.
That Fang Han who's ranked thirty-sixth on the Prodigy Ranking?
He naturally knew this person.
He had a deep grudge against the Nether Pavilion, killed Gong Xing, killed two Deacon, and seriously injured Duan Wuya.
But he remembered that this boy was ranked only thirty-sixth, while Meng Xian was seventeenth.
They were nineteen places behind.
"Explain in detail."
You Xin's voice remained calm.
Meng Xian took a deep breath and recounted the events of the day in detail.
From sensing the disturbance and going to investigate, to discovering the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus and Fang Han, to attempting to seize it, to the fierce battle, to finally retreating voluntarily...
He neither concealed anything nor embellished anything.
Because he knew that with You Xin's shrewdness, no amount of concealment could be hidden.
You Xin listened quietly, her face revealing no emotion.
After Meng Xian finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth:
"You mean, his physical defense is extremely strong, and when you struck him with your full strength, he only suffered minor injuries?"
"Yes." Meng Xian nodded. "He has practiced Horizontal Training technique, and at a considerable level."
You Xin nodded slightly, her gaze deep.
"To be able to force you to retreat despite ranking thirty-sixth... this kid's strength is indeed far beyond his current ranking."
He paused, looked at Meng Xian, and said calmly.
"Go and heal your wounds. I understand about this matter."
Meng Xian said nothing more and turned to walk towards his tent.
Behind him, You Xin's gaze fell on his back, lingered for a moment, and then moved away.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the vast forest shrouded in night beyond the valley.
" Fang Han..."
He murmured the name, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Meng Xian, Prodigy Ranking, was defeated by this person.
Moreover, judging from Meng Xian's description, this young man's strength is far beyond what his ranking suggests.
His Sword Technique was fierce, his Body Movement were ghostly, and his physical defense was astonishingly strong.
What's even more terrifying is that this person is only twenty years old.
To possess such strength at the age of twenty.
If we give him a few more years...
A cold glint flashed in You Xin's eyes.
Duan Wuya was seriously injured, Meng Xian was defeated, and the feud between the Nether Pavilion and Fang Han has deepened.
This child must be eliminated.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the dark mountain forest.
The firelight flickered on his face, reflecting the cold light in his narrow eyes.
" Fang Han..."
He read the name aloud again.
This time, the voice carried an undisguised killing intent.
The light inside the tent flickered slightly, reflecting off the campfire and casting dappled shadows on the animal skin rug.
Fang Han sat cross-legged, preparing to take out the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, when the curtain was suddenly gently lifted.
Yun Qianyue walked in carrying a wooden tray.
On the wooden platter sits a large piece of roasted, golden-brown, sizzling meat, dripping with fat. Beside it is a bowl of steaming hot broth, its milky white color and enticing aroma filling the air.
"I brought you dinner."
Yun Qianyue placed the wooden tray beside Fang Han, her voice cold and unreadable.
Fang Han was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling on the roasted meat and broth.
He had fought the giant python and then battled Meng Xian today, which greatly depleted his Internal Qi, leaving him completely empty-handed.
After returning, he treated his wounds and was thinking about the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, so he forgot to eat.
Thank you.
He didn't refuse, picked up the piece of roast meat, tore off a piece, and put it in his mouth.
The roasted meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection. The juices melt in your mouth, carrying a subtle salty aroma and the unique freshness of wild game.
The soup was also perfectly stewed, with a rich broth and a smooth texture, clearly made by simmering the bones of a demon beast for a long time.
Fang Han ate slowly, but steadily.
Yun Qianyue sat quietly to the side, not saying a word, only occasionally glancing at Fang Han before lowering her eyes again.
Inside the tent, only the soft sound of Fang Han chewing and the faint sounds of laughter and conversation drifted from afar.
A moment later, Fang Han finished the last piece of meat and drank all the soup in the bowl, finally relieving his hunger.
He wiped his hands with a handkerchief, looked up at Yun Qianyue, whose cool eyes were fixed on his face. When she saw him look up, she looked away.
You should get some rest.
Yun Qianyue stood up, cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, and carried the wooden tray as she turned and walked out of the tent.
As she approached the tent flap, she paused slightly, without turning around, but her voice drifted over softly:
"Your injuries haven't healed yet, so don't cultivate tonight."
Having said that, he lifted the tent flap and disappeared into the night.
Fang Han stared at the slightly swaying tent curtain and remained silent for a moment.
He reached into his robes and touched the warm, Golden Flame Sacred Lotus.
Even through the robes, he could feel the faint heat emanating from it, as if he were holding not a lotus flower, but a restrained flame.
"To avoid attracting unwanted attention, it's best to take it as soon as possible."
Fang Han thought to himself.
The Golden Flame Sacred Lotus has been exposed. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, the best course of action is to refine it as soon as possible.
Fang Han took the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus out of his bosom.
The tent was dimly lit, but the appearance of the lotus flower seemed to illuminate the entire space.
Nine layers of petals overlap, each one a pure gold, shimmering in the dim light.
The fine lines around the edge of the petals, like flickering flames or flowing runes, faintly exude a heart-pounding heat.
At the heart of the lotus, the lotus seed is plump and round, golden in color, like a tiny sun, containing boundless and pure energy.
Fang Han's gaze lingered on the lotus for a moment.
According to the sect's records, the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus takes three hundred years to take root, three hundred years to sprout leaves, and three hundred years to bloom. The flower has nine petals, each petal resembling a flame, hence the name Golden Flame Sacred Lotus.
Its effects include enhancing Body Tempering Talent, making it an unparalleled treasure for martial artists who cultivate Horizontal Training techniques.
Without hesitation, he plucked the lotus seedpod and put it in his mouth along with the lotus seed.
The moment it enters your mouth, a burst of intense heat explodes within you.
The feeling wasn't unpleasant; instead, it had a strange, warm quality.
He chewed a few times, and the lotus pod and seeds turned into warm juice that slid down his throat and into his stomach.
The next moment--
A sudden change has occurred!
The moment that warm liquid entered my stomach, it was like a powder keg being lit, exploding with a bang!
An extremely hot torrent, originating in the abdomen, instantly surged to every part of the body!
That intense heat wasn't the usual kind of burning; it was a scorching sensation that penetrated deep into the bone marrow and permeated every pore of flesh.
It was as if countless tiny flames were coursing, leaping, and burning within his body.
Every inch of flesh, every tendon, every inch of skin was repeatedly burned by this scorching torrent at this moment.
Fang Han groaned, and fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
The sweat was immediately evaporated by the high temperature on the skin, turning into wisps of white steam that rose into the air.
His skin began to flush red, the red radiating from within, as if his entire body were burning.
Deep within his body, beyond his comprehension, the essence of his physical prowess was undergoing a transformation at an unimaginable speed.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the intense tempering.
I don't know how much time passed; perhaps only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or perhaps an hour.
The raging torrent of heat that had been raging within him finally subsided.
Like the receding tide, leaving only a body refreshed and revitalized.
Fang Han slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, a pure golden light flashed deep within his pupils.
The golden light flashed and disappeared in an instant, but his eyes were deeper and brighter than ever before.
"I wonder how effective it will be..."
Fang Han's mind stirred slightly, and he attempted to circulate the < Black Tortoise True Art >.
The moment he activated the technique, he sensed something was different.
The feeling was as if a thin veil had been lifted from my eyes, or as if a stagnant river had been cleared.
The smoothness of the exercise, the control over qi and blood, and the perception of every inch of flesh and blood have all undergone a qualitative leap.
This is an improvement in Body Tempering Talent.
Moreover, it's a permanent improvement.
Fang Han took a deep breath and began to guide his qi and blood to Flesh Refining according to the cultivation method of the < Black Tortoise True Art >.
Blood and qi surged, circulating throughout the body along specific routes, washing over muscles, bones, and skin.
That speed of tempering--
Fang Han was slightly taken aback.
That's too fast.
It's several times faster than before.
The tempering process, which originally took several hours to complete, has now made significant progress in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
The feeling was like having ridden a thoroughbred horse instead of trekking on foot.
"This..."
An indescribable joy welled up in Fang Han.
The talent boost brought by the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, combined with the 128x Body Tempering Talent Amplification, results in an effect that is far more than a simple addition of one, but a geometric leap!
He continued his cultivation, his mind completely immersed in the unprecedentedly exhilarating tempering process.
Blood and qi surge, muscles and bones tremble, skin tightens...
He could clearly feel that the strength of his physical body was increasing at a visible rate.
Although he was still quite a distance from the next stage of the Black Tortoise True Art, " Minor Accomplishment," he was confident that with this pace of cultivation, he would reach that threshold within a few months.
Inside the tent, only his long, powerful breathing and the faint rumble of his blood flowing through his veins could be heard.
I don't know how much time passed--
"Whoosh."
The curtain was suddenly and gently lifted.
A figure in pale blue stepped into the tent, accompanied by the night breeze and the glow of the campfire.
It is Yun Qianyue.
She frowned slightly as she looked at Fang Han, her voice cold and clear.
"Are you cultivating?"
Fang Han glanced at Yun Qianyue with a guilty conscience.
Her eyes were fixed on him, her gaze still cool, but now holding a hint of... anger?
You have injuries.
Yun Qianyue's voice remained calm, but beneath that calmness, there was clearly an emotion being suppressed.
"Your injuries haven't healed yet, and you're already training like this? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Fang Han opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to refute it.
His injuries have indeed not healed yet.
Although most of those wounds were not deep, they were still wounds nonetheless.
After a martial artist is injured, it is most important to avoid forcing oneself to cultivate, especially to practice Horizontal Training techniques that consume a great deal of qi, blood, muscles, and bones. If one is not careful, it will aggravate the injury and may even leave hidden ailments.
He was so caught up in the surprise brought by the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus that he had completely forgotten about this.
"I..."
Fang Han was uncharacteristically speechless.
He looked into Yun Qianyue's eyes, which remained as cold as ever, yet clearly revealed an indescribable emotion.
That emotion is called concern.
Its name is -- Angry.
He reluctantly stopped his practice, and the surging blood and qi in his body gradually calmed down and returned to stillness.
"I'm not practicing anymore."
He said honestly.
Yun Qianyue didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.
That gaze made Fang Han feel inexplicably guilty.
After a moment, Yun Qianyue withdrew her gaze, her voice still cold, but slightly softer than before:
Get some rest.
After saying that, she turned and walked out of the tent.
The curtain was lifted and then lowered again, and the pale blue figure disappeared into the night.
Fang Han sat inside the tent, gazing at the slightly swaying tent flap, and remained silent for a moment.
He looked down at the wounds on his body and felt the surging blood and energy within his body caused by the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus.
A helpless smile slowly appeared on his lips.
--This girl can be quite fierce when she gets angry.