"Early stage of Second Grade."
In the Quiet Room, Fang Han slowly opened his eyes.
Deep within his eyes, a wisp of cyan-gold light swirled continuously before slowly receding.
He gently clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking crisply, feeling the much more refined Internal Qi within him, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Including the Hearing Palace Acupoint, the twenty-two interconnected Acupoints form a more complex and efficient Internal Qi circulation system.
The speed and volume of the Internal Qi flow increased dramatically, its color became deeper, and its texture became as viscous as mercury. The sense of power it brought with its flow was far greater than before.
"Auditory enhancement."
Fang Han carefully experienced the newly opened Divine Treasury.
With the opening of the Hearing Palace Acupoint, a brand new Divine Treasury is also unlocked—hearing enhancement.
Therefore, with the opening of this Divine Treasury, the sounds of the entire world became clearer than ever before.
The soft rustling of a falling leaf outside the window, Qui Lan's hushed instructions from the veranda, the whispers of disciples on the distant mountain path, the gentle lapping of the stream washing over the pebbles outside the mountain gate, and even further away, the crunching sound of a squirrel munching on a pine cone in the woods—all these sounds filled the air.
Countless sounds, as if strung together by invisible threads, flowed into his ears in distinct layers.
He listened intently and could even discern a lingering trace of fear at the end of Qui Lan's words.
Standing up, Fang Han stretched his slightly sore and numb muscles and Fang Han pushed open the door and went out.
Under the eaves, Qui Lan was bending over to pick up the broken teapot. When she saw him come out, she quickly straightened up.
"Senior brother, just now..."
Qui Lan's voice still carried a hint of lingering fear.
"His cultivation has made a breakthrough."
Fang Han nodded slightly.
"I'm sorry to have surprised you."
Qui Lan shook her head, the fear in her eyes replaced by joy.
She bowed in congratulations, her voice filled with heartfelt joy. The two Maid also came from the corridor, their faces still somewhat pale, but they also bowed in greeting.
They shared in Fang Han's glory and his loss; the stronger Fang Han became, the happier they were.
"Enough to climb to the upper echelons!"
Fang Han nodded, turned around and walked back to the Quiet Room, where he sat cross-legged on the futon again.
Initial stage of Second Grade.
Compared to the Third Grade Late Stage, the purity of his Internal Qi has reached a new level, and his strength has naturally increased accordingly.
With his current combat strength, if combined with the Proficiency Realm < Void-Sundering Sword Manual > and the Proficiency Realm < Wind God Step >, Minor Success Stage of < Black Tortoise True Art >, he would be able to rank among the upper echelons of First Grade martial artists.
Perhaps only Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist one of the three barriers of essence, energy, and spirit can truly suppress him.
If you add the Windshock Sword, a Low-grade Spirit Weapon... even Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist is not invincible in this battle.
"Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to improve my cultivation as quickly as before!"
Fang Han's gaze fell on the nearly empty Heaven Origin Pill, and his initial joy was replaced by another emotion.
There was very little left in the bottle.
The Heaven Origin Pill Danyao, a elixir obtained from Ancient Ruins, is so rare that each pill used reduces the remaining supply, and it is simply impossible to replenish it in today's world.
Once he runs out of these few pills, he will have no choice but to settle for second best and exchange his merits for Earth Spirit Pill from the sect to aid his cultivation.
Although the Earth Spirit Pill is quite potent, its potency is noticeably inferior to that of the Heaven Origin Pill.
The speed of cultivation will inevitably slow down.
"If we could improve my Root Bone Talent, it might be possible to maintain my current cultivation speed."
Fang Han thought of ways to improve the speed of Internal Qi cultivation.
With his current merit of five Major Merit, he has more than enough to exchange for rare and precious materials that can improve his physical constitution.
But the problem is that when he went to the treasure vault last time, Elder Han Qing had already made it clear that the Earth Heart Stone Milk had already been completely exchanged.
The only way to exchange for it is after the sect receives a new share of Earth Heart Stone Milk this year, and even then, it's uncertain how much Earth Heart Stone Milk the sect will receive this year.
Even with a full five Major Merit, it's impossible to exchange them now.
As dusk fell, the setting sun bathed the bamboo grove of the No. 35 Annex in a warm golden light.
Fang Han had just finished his cultivation for the day and was having dinner in the Side Hall when he heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard gate.
Qui Lan strode into the Side Hall and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother, a disciple from the Sect Master's Hall requests an audience, saying he has important news to convey."
Fang Han put down his chopsticks, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
It was already late, yet the Sect Master's Hall had sent someone at this hour. He nodded slightly.
"Let him in."
A short while later, a young man dressed in the robes of a disciple of the Sect Master's Hall strode into the Side Hall, bowed respectfully to Fang Han, and said in a rapid voice:
"Senior Brother Fang, the Sect Master summons you to the Sect Master's Hall immediately; he has important matters to discuss."
Fang Han didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded, put down his chopsticks, and followed the disciple out of the courtyard.
Dusk had fallen, and the ancient trees on both sides of the mountain path rustled in the evening breeze. The last rays of the sunset were slowly swallowed by the night.
He walked with composure, but his mind was racing. Why had the sect leader summoned him at this hour?
The majestic outline of the Sect Master's Hall soon came into view at the edge of the horizon.
The disciple on duty at the temple gate went in to report, and after receiving permission, stepped aside to make way.
Fang Han nodded slightly and stepped into the hall.
The lights inside the hall have been turned on.
Chen Tianyuan sat at the head of the table, holding an unfolded invitation in his hand, his brows furrowed with a rare seriousness.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gentle eyes falling on Fang Han.
"Disciple Fang Han greets Sect Master."
Fang Han stepped forward and bowed.
"No need for formalities, please sit."
Chen Tianyuan waved his hand and placed the invitation on the table.
Fang Han sat down on the pear wood chair at the lower end of the table, his gaze lingering on Chen Tianyuan's face for a moment.
Although the sect leader's expression remained calm, there was clearly some unusual emotion suppressed beneath that composure.
It was neither anger nor worry, but a deeper, more profound solemnity, like the calm before a storm.
"The chaos in Songquan Prefecture is over."
Chen Tianyuan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then slowly spoke.
He paused, put down his teacup, and his voice became unusually deep and serious.
"However, since the discovery of the Grandmaster's Tomb, quite a few martial artists have been lost, including as many as five First Grade martial artists."
Fang Han's pupils contracted slightly.
Even for top-tier forces, the loss of First Grade martial artist is a devastating blow.
The chaos in Songquan Prefecture resulted in the loss of five First Grade martial artists.
It is easy to imagine the heavy casualties suffered in Songquan Prefecture this time.
"Has the power behind the counterfeiters been revealed?"
Fang Han asked, a question that had been lingering in his mind.
Chen Tianyuan shook his head, a rare hint of helplessness flashing in his gentle eyes:
"No, this force is extremely cautious and has never come out into the open."
"Although various forces in Songquan Prefecture were aware of the situation and sent people to investigate, all leads were completely wiped out. Those people seemed to have vanished into thin air, and no trace of them could be found."
His voice lowered, carrying a apprehension he himself was unwilling to admit:
"From beginning to end, we have no idea what this force is, what its purpose is, or why it wants to stir up trouble in Songquan Prefecture."
Fang Han's brows furrowed slowly.
A force capable of stirring up such a huge wave in Songquan Prefecture and then retreating unscathed without leaving a trace is something that ordinary small gangs and factions could not accomplish.
His intuition told him that this force was sinister and its ambitions were undoubtedly enormous.
But as the sect leader said, he knew far too little information to piece together the complete puzzle, let alone predict what the other side would do next.
A brief silence fell over the hall, broken only by the occasional crackling of the candlelight.
Just then, a report came from the disciple on duty outside the hall:
"Sect Master, the True Disciple Luo Yuntian Yun Muyao True Disciple."
Fang Han was slightly taken aback. In addition to summoning him, the sect leader had also summoned Luo Yuntian and Yun Muyao.
Chen Tianyuan's voice rang out at the right moment, interrupting Fang Han's thoughts, his voice carrying a hint of gentleness:
"Let them in."
The palace doors were gently pushed open, and two figures stepped in one after the other.
Luo Yuntian was still wearing a dark blue robe, his face was calm, his steps were steady, and his aura was more refined than it had been a few months ago, clearly showing that his secluded cultivation had not been in vain.
Yun Muyao followed behind Luo Yuntian, dressed in a light blue dress and with her face veiled in white gauze, revealing only a pair of clear, deep eyes.
Her black hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied up with a white jade hairpin, and her temperament remained as aloof and cold as a plum blossom on a snowy peak.
"Disciple Luo Yuntian."
"Disciple Yun Muyao "
The two stepped forward and bowed in unison:
"Greetings, Sect Master."
"No need for formalities, please sit."
Chen Tianyuan gestured for the two to sit down.
Luo Yuntian and Yun Muyao sat down on the empty chair next to Fang Han.
Luo Yuntian turned his head and nodded slightly to Fang Han, as if to say hello.
Yun Muyao's cool eyes lingered on Fang Han's face for a moment before she nodded slightly.
Fang Han returned the greeting with a cupped hand, but the surprise in his heart only intensified.
I originally thought the sect leader summoned me to inform me that the chaos in Songquan Prefecture had ended.
However, the sect leader summoned not only him, but also Luo Yuntian and Yun Muyao, which meant it was no longer just a matter of Songquan Prefecture.
The sect leader summoned the three of them; there must be something else important to discuss.
Chen Tianyuan up his teacup, took another sip, and then slowly swept his gaze across the three faces.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice becoming more serious:
"The reason we summoned the three of you here today is because our sect received a very special invitation."
"A special invitation?"
Luo Yuntian raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze falling on Chen Tianyuan's face.
"Exactly."
Chen Tianyuan nodded slightly and picked up an invitation card made with gold foil stamping from the table. The invitation card shimmered with a dark gold light under the candlelight, clearly indicating that it was made with great care.
"This invitation is too special; I've decided to attend in person."
Chen Tianyuan paused, then glanced at the three of them again.
"Then, the three of you will come with me."
A hint of curiosity flashed in Luo Yuntian's eyes. He asked, his voice steady but tinged with confusion:
"What kind of power issued an invitation that requires the sect leader to attend in person?"
Chen Tianyuan did not answer immediately.
He unfolded the invitation, lingered on it for a moment, and then slowly raised his head.
His refined face became more serious, and his voice took on a more somber tone.
"The invitation is from the Iron River Gang."
" The Iron River Gang?"
Luo Yuntian frowned slightly; he was familiar with this name.
That was a major force within Qingyang Prefecture. Although it did not have the profound foundation and grandmasters of the Seven Sects, it was still among the top forces and had considerable influence within the county.
I wonder what the Iron River Gang has to do with this invitation.
Chen Tianyuan's voice rang out again, and this time, every word struck Fang Han and the other two like a heavy hammer.
The invitation stated that the guest would be attending Grandmaster Banquet.